In all languages of the world there are phraseological units. These are such stable phrases that carry one common meaning.
Many phraseological units cannot be understood without knowing the history of their origin. This is because some words in expressions disappear from modern speech.
Phraseological units with obsolete words in the composition are called phraseological fusions. They cannot be broken into parts, otherwise they will turn into a meaningless set of words. Examples of splices: beat the thumbs, sharpen the laces, etc.
What does the expression "not visible at all" mean, one cannot understand the first time. What is "zga"? And why is it not visible? To answer these questions, it is necessary to turn to etymology, that is, to the history of the origin of the word.
Meaning
Phraseologism "you can't see anything" is used in several meanings:
-
"Thick darkness". When they say this expression, they mean that because of the intense darkness it is impossible to see anything.
Example: The darkness was such that you could not see anything.
the meaning of the phraseologism is not visible -
"Crowd". This phrase is also used to describepandemonium.
Example: Such a crowd that you can't even see it.
-
"Blindness" in a figurative sense. More often they say this about love.
Example: "Love sees nothing", that is, love is blind.
What is "zga"? Let's turn to etymology.
Origin
Linguists argue about where the word "zga" came from and what it means. Some believe that the Russian people called this word a ring on the arc of a horse. However, how then to explain the proverb: "A blind man leads a blind man, but both do not see at all"? Adherents of this version cannot answer this question. That is why she is the least popular.
Other linguists argue that "zga" is the word "stga" that has undergone temporary changes. This word meant "path, path".
This theory explains the proverb mentioned above: the blind lead the blind, but they both can't see anything, not even the path. It turns out that the meaning of the phraseologism "nothing is visible" - "nothing is visible, not even the road." This version has more grounds.
Synonyms
The meaning of phraseologism "nothing is visible" can be conveyed by other set expressions. Darkness can be described with the following phraseological units:
- "Though if the eye is knocked out". There are no obsolete words in this phraseological unit, so we can understand the meaning from the context. So they say about such thick darkness that even having lost their eyes, there is no differencefeel it.
-
"Egyptian darkness" is an interesting phraseological unit, the meaning of which goes back to the Bible. God punished the disobedient Pharaoh by sending complete darkness on Egypt. This expression is found in Russian literature, for example, in the writer Mamin-Sibiryak.
what does the expression not visible at all mean - "Pitch darkness". The word pitch is borrowed from the Greek language. Its meaning is "external, beyond". This word has received a negative connotation since the reign of Ivan the Terrible. Kromeshniks were called representatives of the oprichnina (guardsmen), the so-called royal guard of those times.
Antonyms
The opposite meaning of phraseologism "nothing is visible" can also be expressed by phraseological units.
"As in the palm of your hand" is the main antonym of this phrase. It means "seen clearly, clearly". According to one version, the expression came from clairvoyance. Fortune telling in the palm of your hand supposedly helps to see a person's life path, his character and beliefs.
