Seven spans in the forehead - the origin of phraseology. The meaning of the proverb "Seven spans in the forehead"

Hearing the expression about the seven-inch gap in the forehead, everyone knows that this is a very smart man. And, of course, no one comes to mind the question of what is based on this axiom, which argues that the intellect depends on the size of the upper part of the head.

By the way, it's high time to decide on this: seven spans in the forehead - is it a proverb, proverb or phraseology? But first you need to find out its origin and meaning.

Phrenology or hyperbole?

Some linguistic scholars do not exclude the possibility that the stable phrase "seven sprouts in the forehead" originates from phrenology. This pseudoscience was created by the Austrian physician F. Halle, it is based on the connection between the mental characteristics of a person and the structure of the skull. In the first decades of the nineteenth century, phrenology was quite popular in Russia, so, according to other philologists, the adherents of Gall's theory, in support of their views, took advantage of a ready-made popular saying, the origin of which goes back centuries.

The most plausible is the understanding of the seven-brains in the forehead, the significance of which is regarded as the most common hyperbole (exaggeration). Of the three significant words of this expression, the second is incomprehensible. Meanwhile, this was the name of one of the measures of length in Russia. There were two of them: a smaller and a larger span. One was determined by the distance between the extended thumb and index finger, and the other - between the large and middle. It turns out that the average length of this measure was approximately 18 centimeters, and a man with seven spans in his forehead should have an incredible head size (more than 1.2 meters in height).

The connection with oral folk art is undoubted

If we consider the expression "seven spans in the forehead" as a result of folk art (to which we refer all Russian proverbs and sayings) based on hyperbole, then it becomes completely understandable why the numeral "seven" is used here. It is in it that the generalized symbolic meaning of the whole statement is concluded. It is worth remembering some primordially Russian phraseological units, for example, about seven in benches, seven winds, seven deadly sins, the seventh heaven, seven seals and locks, seven-league steps.

As you can see, almost in each of them, except for the same numerical designation, there is also an admission of exaggeration. Agree: it is easier to imagine a forehead with a height of more than a meter than a person's step, equal to seven miles (more than 11 kilometers). By the way, the word "span" itself comes from the common Slavic verb, which means "stretch". So, it is quite possible that a person has such a quantity of mind that, under physical materialization (stretching), will make the head of a huge, enormous one.

"Seven spans in the forehead": modern reading

Constant change of the Russian language added to this expression, that is, it had variations.

- The presence of a high forehead in the individual initially implies an outstanding intellect. In this case, the presence of a large brain is also assumed (as is known, memory, scales of thought and genius depend on its volume and weight). The opposite of this understanding is an adjective with a negative evaluation - "narrow-minded".

- This person lives exclusively by reason, that is always a sober head.

- Each gyrus of the brain has at least seven turns.

- the expression "Seven spans in the forehead" became close in semantics to the word "wise".

- A brave man, not afraid to try everything new, not yet tested.

- A sharp, extraordinary mind (the ability to think outside the box).

A hundred or two more years will pass, and this expression may have even more recent meanings that expand the concept, filling it with different shades. But the first, the main, born of the people's instinct, will remain unchanged.

Proverb, proverb or phraseology - "seven spans in the forehead"?

Before deciding on the choice of the name for this speech, it is worth considering each of the proposed. So, the proverb. It is in this folk genre that a deep meaning is reflected, expressing wisdom and life experience. As a rule, every proverb has a general instructive meaning, so it is practically impossible to interpret it in a different way - all conclusions have already been made by the people's mind.

In the proverb it is only called, a certain often occurring phenomenon is determined, but there are no conclusions and no moral teachings. Here the main thing is the form of the statement, not the content. The proverb can be called the first half of the proverb, it does not directly point to the phenomenon, but only hints, but very clearly and unequivocally.

Perhaps the expression "seven spades in the forehead" is most logically attributed to this genre, since it defines only the size of the forehead and nothing more, but everyone knows that this is a positive characteristic: the presence of a great mind.

As for phraseological units, their boundaries are blurred between combinations, fusion, expressions and winged phrases. But they also have a common feature - indivisibility and a tendency to metaphoricality, imagery. If we look at our expression from this point of view, then it can be attributed to phraseological units.

The version is new, unusual: the foreheads on the forehead are written

Now there was an interesting private version about the seven spans in the forehead. The meaning of phraseology becomes a direct indicator of human development. In this case, the span, although it remains a measure of length, but points not to the height of the forehead, but to the number of wrinkles on it. Here an analogy is made between the uniqueness of the lines on the hand and the same individuality on the head. So it turns out that the development of the mind and soul is already registered on the forehead since birth: how straight and long the striae are, the person is so developed at this stage in time. In order to determine the momentary stage, you just need to go to the mirror and wrinkle your forehead.

During the course of life these lines can change in the direction of increase, which means, undoubtedly, the spiritual development of the personality. So seven parallel spans on the forehead may well appear without any parable and exaggeration.

The Pole as a Striving for Harmony

In spite of the fact that the size of the span was individual (for each person the distance between the fingers is different), to sell the goods, measured precisely by this unit of length, there was a definite standard sample (0.177 meters).

And yet the span is often considered to be a non-dimensional quantity, but proportional. And the following allowed to create proportional buildings for the Slavs. Imagine a hut built according to individual standards of a man: sazhen, elbow, span, arshin, top. Here it is - the embodied harmony: the ideal dimensions of the dwelling, commensurate only to the master.