What is the bald? Is he or she?

We rarely think about the meaning of words that are firmly established in everyday speech. Some of them are explained easily and simply, the meaning of others is so hidden that it is sometimes not possible to find it. Take, for example, the word "balda". It is pronounced quite often, but what it means is not known to every person.

It is clear that "bald" is a noun of the feminine gender, but for some reason it is more often used against members of the stronger sex. Why does this happen, what did this word mean in ancient times, what meaning do we put in it today? We will try to answer these questions using various literary sources and linguistic reference books.

Pagan name

In the pre-Christian times in Russia the name Balda was called both boys and girls. Perhaps, therefore, in modern speech one sometimes hears a mocking expression: "Oh, you, Balda Ivanovna!" Also you can remember Baldu, who served as a worker, a cook, and a carpenter.

In the poetic work of Alexander Pushkin so called strong strong guy, a little silly, but with cunning, as befits all fairy-tale heroes, whether it's Emelya or Ivanushka. Under Peter the First, the pagan name, among other non-church nicknames, was banned. And since then, the bald - it's just a synonym for the word "fool", but in a softer, not abusive, but, rather, ironic version.

Meaningful interpretation

Let's look in the dictionary of Dahl. Here bald - it's a rhizome, club, mace, that is, though a wooden object, but quite heavy. Also this word in Russia was called a hand forging hammer (sledge hammer), a heavy beater, ramming and other similar objects used to perform simple craftwork.

However, Dal gives other meanings of the word. In the dialects of the Vologda, Ryazan and Kostroma gubernias, the bald is a dull man, a fool, a fool, a witty one.

Turkic borrowing

According to other etymological sources, the word "balda" appeared in Russian speech due to borrowing from the languages of the Turkic group. For example, the Tatar ax is called "bolt", and in Turkish, the word "baldak" means the hilt of a cold weapon.

This version seems quite believable, given that today there is the term "knob", which indicates the thickening at the end of the cane, lever, and crutch. Also in common parlance the bald is called the human head, which echoes the noun "bashka", clearly having Turkic roots. Therefore, the Old Slavonic meaning of the word "balda" remains unclear. It is not known whether this term was invented independently or is a foreign borrowing.

The use of words in modern speech

As we have already found out, the bald is a synonym for the word "fool". But its sound does not cause sharp negative reactions. For example, sometimes they call a child who has been upset or a close friend who has fallen into an absurd situation. Today you can hear different derivatives, formed from the word "balda". The meaning of adjectives "drowsy" and "awesome" is certainly understandable to everyone. In the first case, it's "funny", in the second it's "stunning", and exclaiming "Stunned!", We express our admiration or bewilderment by some action, the act of other people.

Folk folklore

This word has become part of some stable expressions. For example, such as "kick the bald". The meaning of phraseology is synonymous with other folk sayings: "chasing an idler" or "hitting a buckler", that is, doing an idle thing, laziness. But if everything is more or less clear with the loafer and the buckets, then how can you kick a blacksmith hammer or a sword hilt is a mystery. And to the stupid person, no matter how stupid he was, such an appeal would hardly have been pleasant. This seemingly strange statement has a completely logical explanation, rooted in antiquity.

The thing is that, in addition to other listed items in the old days, a bald was called a built-up on the trunk of a tree in the form of a round, clumsy ledge. The village kids were splitting off this sizzling cone and used it in games like today's football. It is possible that adults sometimes joined children's games. As a result, the expression "to kick the bald" arose, meaning a useless idle pastime. In favor of this version, the fact that in English the "outgrowth on the tree" and the "wooden ball" are similar in meaning and are denoted by the same word knar (knur, knurr).