There are words used in different senses and situations. They are called plural. There are terms that extend one concept to different branches and spheres of life. Take, for example, the word "mark". This concept is found in the literature, it is used in animal husbandry and jewelry. There are other areas where you can hear this word. And what is the stigma, how to interpret and understand it? Let's figure it out.
The meaning of the word "brand"
Digging through the dictionaries. In our case, this is the simplest and most reasonable research method. It says: “A brand is a special sign on a product or a pet that contains certain information.” That is, we are dealing with a kind of personalization. So, on jewelry they put a sign in which they indicate the sample (the content of the precious metal). This is a unified rule adopted by the expert community. That is, every jeweler, looking at the product, understandswhat is its real value. It turns out that the stigma is a way of transmitting information between people. But that is not all. The same sign on a ring or necklace imposes a certain responsibility on the one who put it. If the jeweler is engaged in deceit, he will be identified and "glorified" to the whole world. Such labels are invented now for many things. Each conveys to others certain, necessary and useful information about the product, in addition, tells about the manufacturer. We came to the conclusion that the stigma is a specialized sign of multifaceted content. It tells those who can read it about its bearer and author.
Why the stigma was invented
Scientists rightly believe that the essence of any fact or phenomenon can be understood more deeply if you delve into the history of its occurrence. To understand what a stigma is, we would do well to use this logical and clear principle. You know that the population of the planet is growing exponentially. This process did not begin yesterday, not even in the last century. The trend has been traced for thousands of years. There are more people, relationships are more complicated. A large part of them is occupied by property issues. At a certain stage in the development of society, it became necessary to introduce a unified (that is, understandable to everyone) sign that determines the ownership of property. So the idea of branding was born. Ancient people specially applied a burn to the skin of domestic animals and slaves. Today, such a sign on the body of cattle is called a brand. And stigmatizing people is strictly prohibited by law in modern civilizedcountries.
Another meaning of the word
In order to burn with a special picture, you need a tool. The same can be said about the seals on the products. This tool has the same name - the brand. It is made unique or unified. For example, it is customary to apply a sample to jewelry. Its meaning is unified so that everyone can understand. But, besides this, the mark of the manufacturer may be present on the stamp. He is unique. Each jeweler has his own symbol. In the past, each owner had his own brand, so that it was possible to distinguish property from similar, but belonging to other owners. It was a kind of jurisprudence in its infancy.
Second semantic row
Deciphering what the stigma means, it is impossible not to recall the famous novel "The Three Musketeers". There is a scene that reveals the essence of the concept under study. On the shoulder of the beauty, the count found the brand of the city of Lille. This seal has a different meaning. It used to be used as a punishment. The stigma was put on the criminal so that any person could understand the essence of this shameless person. To be caught at the scene of a crime was considered a great disgrace. Those who broke the law were punished. But unlike the current generally accepted rules, they did not forgive. The man had to pay for his deed until the end of his days. This is where the expression "brand shame" came from. It means moral responsibility for a mistake, which is not removed either by good deeds or by time.
Conclusion
We tried to figure out what the word "stigma" means. Most often we encounter it when we talk about the notoriety earned by a certain person by unseemly deeds. That is, the concept has a negative meaning. But in fact, the stigma initially means an ordinary, not a shameful sign, containing the information necessary for others. And the word has acquired a bad coloring only because of the ease of application. Previously, there was no skin transplant, it seemed impossible to get rid of burn marks. Therefore, the executioners considered that putting a brand on the body of a criminal was a good decision so that he could not get rid of this incriminating sign. Such a "joke of history" happened with the usual, very ordinary symbol of the ownership of property by the owner. Meanwhile, the masters found this idea very useful for themselves. The brand, as an advertising tool, has gained popularity, which is still not lost.
