This article will not discuss the history or etymology of this word - we will talk about those uses of this word that you can hear most often. The most popular interpretations of this term are described below.
General characteristics
This may surprise some, but "drain" is a rather old word that has many meanings. Its original meaning had nothing to do with Internet culture at all and was used, as a rule, only in domestic conditions.
"Drain" - the meaning and use of the word in everyday life
As mentioned earlier, this expression is most often used by ordinary people, and not by active online users who spend all day on the Internet.
From the point of view of ordinary people, a drain is:
transfusion or pouring of liquid. Example: pouring gasoline;
- action accompanied by the mixing of two substances. Example: pouring water from two buckets into one can;
- plumbing fixture for flushing water or any otherliquids. Example: with toilet flush;
- a term that describes the dynamics of water movement. Example: from a waterfall shower;
- part of the hydraulic mechanism. Example: with a dam spill.
To complete the picture, it is also worth mentioning the narrower circles of people who put a completely different meaning into this word. For example, paraglider pilots (athletes involved in paraglider control) use this term to denote a drop in height, and in bariatrics (a section of surgery) it means getting rid of the fat layer through surgical intervention.
Media use
You already know what a "drain" is in the usual sense of the word. Now it's time to learn about the context in which this expression is used in the media.
People who actively consume various media products may have noticed that in journalism the journalistic term "information leak" is often used, which refers to the disclosure of facts and data that were previously kept in the strictest confidence. In a more understandable language, an information leak is an intentional leak of information. This expression has been actively used in Russian journalism since the mid-1990s.
For the first time, detailed information about this term appeared in the Dictionary of the Russian Public Language of the End of the 20th Century, which was published in the publication Kommersant-Vlast. This dictionary contains information that officially the "birth" of the expression occurred on April 23, 1995during the broadcast of the program "Itogi". The "father" of such a popular phrase was military expert Alexander Zhilin, who used it in his commentary on the scandalous events that were relevant at that time.
The WikiLeaks project and the exposure of Edward Snowden are two of the most famous leaks of information, thanks to which millions of people learned secret government facts and received evidence of US surveillance of their citizens.
What is an "Internet leak"?
Oddly enough, even on the Web this expression is used for several reasons. The words "drain", "merged" and "drain" are most often used by regulars of various forums, ordinary commentators, network trolls and fans of online video games.
What does it mean to leak in gaming jargon? Everything is simple here: a drain in the game is a loss or a kill. For example, the phrase "he merged", which can often be heard on the servers of multiplayer shooters or RPGs, means that the player was killed or he simply left the game. "Slivary" or "dnar" refers to inexperienced or inept gamers who play the game poorly, which is why they often let down the team and create additional problems for its members. Expressions like "dump the rink", "dump the game", "drain the fight" are often used in relation to such people.
From the point of view of active participants in Internet discussions, a leak is a defeat in any dispute. Mostviolent confrontations in the commentary environment are called srachs. If during the discussion one of the opponents cannot defend his point of view, does not argue his opinion in any way, begins to ignore comments, or instead of facts begins to get personal and insult the interlocutor, then such behavior is called a drain. Users who emerged victorious from the match often use the phrase "drain counted" to playfully emphasize their superiority over the defeated opponent.
