In Russian there are two words similar to each other - “light” and “color”. Both of them are of Slavic origin and both are associated with such a physical phenomenon as electromagnetic radiation. However, the lexical meaning of the word “light” and “color” differ from each other. Moreover, each of them has not one but several interpretations.
First linguistic object
About the lexical meaning of the word “light”, the dictionary says the following. It is given in several versions.
- A physical term for radiation that is in the frequency range visible to living things.
- Light source.
- In a figurative, poetic sense - a source of joy and pleasure.
- In the plural - a special photographic term for bright areas in the image.
- In conversation, the same thing as power supply.
- Also in colloquial speech - the same as lighting, one or more lighting devices.
- In a metaphorical sense - day, dawn.
For a better understanding of the lexical meaning of the word “light”, it would be advisable to refer to its synonyms and antonyms.
Synonyms and Antonyms
The first include:
- radiance;
- electricity;
- current;
- lighting;
- bright spots;
- illumination;
- dawn;
- day;
- a source;
- supply;
- radiation;
- plots.
Among the second are:
- darkness;
- darkness;
- darkness;
- darkness;
- shadow;
- grief;
- night;
- darkness
- sunset.
Continuing to study the lexical meaning of the word “light”, we turn to its origin.
Etymology
It comes from the pre-Slavic noun svět, from which, inter alia, appeared:
- Old Russian and Old Slavonic "svŃŁt";
- Belarusian “light”;
- Bulgarian "light";
- Serbo-Croatian “light”, “light”;
- Slovenian svȇt in the meanings of “world”, “people”;
- Czech svět, which means "peace";
- Slovak svet;
- Polish świat;
- Upper Luga and Lower Luga swět;
- Polaba sjot, meaning "light" and "day".
The pre-Slavic svět is associated with the Old Slavonic svѣti, the svatati (in the meaning of “shine”), alternating vowels. The word is related:
- ancient Indian c̨vētás, which translates as "white", "light";
- Avestan spaēta, in the same meaning as in Old Indian;
- ancient Persian spiθra - the same;
- the Lithuanian verbs šviẽsti (“shine”), šveičiù (“brush up”, “clean”), šveĩsti (“twinkle”, “shine”) and the noun švìtras (“emery”);
- Latin vitrum, which means "glass";
- Old High German hwiîʒ in the meaning of "white".
The word "light" has other interpretations.
Other values
Among them are such as:
- An archaic synonym for the word "world", which is fully present in living Russian. For example, in such expressions as "go out into the world", "seven wonders of the world", "in the other world", "at the end of the world", "around the world", "Old and New World", "side of the world".
- The social concept denoting a non-religious, secular society, as well as the elite, is the highest society. It is used, for example, in the phrases “secular state” and “half-light”.
Having completed the consideration of the lexical meaning of the word "light", we move on to another lexeme.
Second word
"Color" is presented in the dictionary in the following variants.
- Light tone, color, the ability to emit, absorb, or reflect light in a specific frequency spectrum.
- A combination of features that makes it possible to present the appearance of a surface. It speaks of coloring, texture, texture.
- A special term in physics denoting a quantum number that describes a variety of quarks. It characterizes quarks and gluons and acts as a charge in quantum chromodynamics.
- In the plural, figuratively used in flags - national, corporate or in symbols belonging to any country or organization.
Consider its synonyms with antonyms.
Synonyms and antonyms for "color"
Words that are close in meaning include:
- paint;
- coloring;
- tone;
- shade;
- color charge;
- ability;
- property;
- charge;
- quantum number;
- appearance;
- texture;
- texture.
Among the opposite are:
- alikhna;
- anti-color;
- colorlessness.
Next, we turn to the origin of the second token.
The etymology of "color"
The word comes from the pre-Slavic květ, from which also come:
- Old Russian and Old Slavonic "flowers";
- Belarusian “color”;
- Bulgarian “bloom” and “color”;
- Serbo-Croatian “blossoms”;
- Slovenian cvet;
- Czech květ;
- Slovak kvet;
- Polish kwiat;
- Upper Luga and Lower Luga kwět;
- polabskoe kjot.
The Pre-Slavic květ is related to the Latvian verbs:
- kvitet - “flicker”;
- kvitu - to “shine”;
- kvitinât - "make it flicker."
Having studied the lexical meanings of the words “light” and “color”, we were convinced that these, although similar, were completely different linguistic objects.