"Their name is legion": the meaning of phraseology, its origin

The Russian language is famous for its speech, the meaning of which is difficult to understand without having a dictionary at hand. Let's say, where did the winged expression "Their name - legion" come from? The meaning of phraseology can hardly be understood without knowing the history of its appearance in the Russian language. So, where did he come from and how to use it correctly in colloquial and written speech?

What is the legion?

What is the meaning of the winged phrase "Their name is Legion"? The meaning of phraseology is easier to understand, figuring out the meaning of the word "legion". Not everyone knows that it was inherited from the ancient Romans, it appeared before the onset of our era. Indeed, it was in ancient Rome that a large military unit was called a legion. The number of such units could be about three or four thousand soldiers. There were also very large legions, which had up to ten thousand soldiers.

And here the phraseological phrase "Is it a legion?" The meaning of phraseology is still unclear. However, the word "legion" gradually began to be used not only to designate army units. People began to use it in colloquial and written speech, implying a myriad of things. And most often it was used in a negative way.

"Their name is legion": the meaning of phraseology, its origin

With the word "legion" everything is clear, but where does the expression that is considered in this article come from? There is a biblical parable, which also can not be left without attention, telling about what the expression "Name is to them - legion" means. The meaning of phraseology is directly related to this legend, passed down from generation to generation.

This is a story about a man who lived in an ancient state, located on the eastern shore of Lake Galilee. This man was possessed by demons. Those who met him, did not doubt that he had lost his mind. Once this man met Jesus and the disciples following him. The Savior asked his name, to which he received the answer: "My name is legion." The unfortunate implied that thousands of demons had moved into him, which can not be listed by name, since their name is legion.

Of course, the good Jesus decided to help the possessed person and cast out demons forever. However, they begged him to let them settle in pigs that grazed nearby. The Savior allowed them to do this, after which the whole herd rushed from the cliff to the sea and found its death in the water. A disciple of Christ assures that there were about two thousand drowned pigs.

What does phraseology mean?

Now the origin of the enigmatic speech turnover "The name of them is legion" does not seem an insoluble mystery. The meaning of phraseology is the expression "an infinite number", as it was in the days of Ancient Rome.

Of course, this stable design can be used not only in relation to the impure force. It can be used always when talking about something, which is very much, and not just for counting the demons that have taken possession of the human body. Often the expression comes to the rescue, when a person wants to say that something is too much, in this case negative meaning is put into it.

In literary works

How to remember the history of the origin of the expression "The name is legion", the meaning of phraseology? What is this "an infinite number"? The value of speech turnover can forever be stored in memory thanks to examples borrowed from the literature. For example, the writer Ivan Alexandrovich Goncharov in his work "Cliff" uses this catch phrase. One of the heroes reproaches the other for the fact that such artists as he is a great multitude, using the phraseology that we are considering.

In what other works does the expression "Name im legion" occur? The meaning of phraseology (what is a legion - we already know) is better remembered if you refer to the collection of critical articles by Dostoevsky. Fedor Mikhailovich uses this bright turn of speech, when he complains about the huge number of imitators trying to copy Gogol's style. The author claims that a myriad of plays have been published, which are but a miserable parody of the famous "Inspector".

Synonyms and antonyms

So, it is now clear where the expression "Name from - legion" came from and when it is used. The meaning of phraseology is known, so you can choose synonyms for it. There are many verbal revolutions that will be able to replace it without the slightest detriment to the meaning. For example, you can use winged expressions "above the head", "above the roof". Perfectly fit in meaning and stable designs "have nowhere to go," "no number," "like stars in the sky." Of course, you can use simple words, for example, "full", "set".

Obviously, it's easy to pick up the antonyms: "little," "little," "a little bit," and so on.