Updated July 24, 2022 973 Author: Dmitry Petrov
Hello, dear readers of the KtoNaNovenkogo.ru blog. Everything new is well forgotten old. The heroes of our review today (the words bad manners and comme il faut) illustrate this immutable truth in the best possible way.
Nowadays they can be found quite often in spoken and written speech (I just love them so much), while just recently (before perestroika) no one really used them. Moreover, they were considered deeply outdated and even harmful relics of the past.
However, the words comme il faut and bad manners appeared in the Russian language long before this (several centuries ago), when, along with Russian, the French language was in use among the nobility and other enlightened public (they spoke it, argued, declared their love). Naturally, some phrases from the French language were transformed into Russian words, while maintaining their original meaning.
But what is comme il faut (or “not comme il faut”) and bad manners? What do they mean in modern colloquial language and how to use them correctly so as not to hear in response: “Yes, this is complete bad manners, my dear!” Let's watch.
What is COMILEFAULT - definition, meaning in simple words.
In simple words, Comme il faut is the right behavior. The word is very often used, like bad manners, which means incorrect behavior, but you can also say about non-compliance with the rules: “not comme il faut.”
The word was in use for quite a long time in exclusively the highest circles of society, then secular people, aristocrats, people of blue blood had a good command of the French language, and accordingly, they used the French “come il faut”.
Today it is found in youth slang, despite the fact that there are more modern replacements, such as phrases: “everything is clear”, “tip-top” and others. Those who have heard this word before and know its meaning well often use it in their speech, denoting an assessment of some activity, behavior, appearance, and so on.
What is bad manners
This word comes from the French expression “mauvais ton” , which is translated into Russian as “bad taste” . When using Russian-language transliteration, this bright phrase turns into “bad manners”. Two hundred years ago, bad manners were considered non-compliance with the norms of etiquette or rules of decency accepted in secular society.
A striking example of the bad manners of those years in behavior is the first step of a girl towards a man, since it was the stronger half of humanity that had the priority of choice.
This term also characterized inappropriate appearance, provocative details of clothing, etc. Moreover, bad manners sometimes referred to not only an impartial act, but also the person who committed it. This is also proven by the works of great classics.
Judge Lyapkin-Tyapkin is extremely bad manners... (N.V. Gogol, “The Inspector General”)
One of the hyponyms of bad manners is “bad manners.” So that you understand, a hyponym is a synonym that carries a more general semantic load. Simply put, bad manners are simply one of several components that characterize the lack of proper upbringing.
Nowadays, the meaning of this word has not undergone major changes. Only the environment in which it is used has changed (there is no secular society in the old sense, but there are a variety of communities and groups of people), as well as priorities.
“Spit on those who pathetically exclaim: “There are only classics, the rest is bad manners!” Unfortunately, we cannot see what is actually lying on the bedside table of a militant Pushkin lover.” (Darya Dontsova)
Let's say, now among erudites they consider bad manners a person who randomly uses in conversation those words whose meaning he himself does not understand. In addition, the moral norms that met the rules of the 19th century, at the present stage, are considered by many, on the contrary, to be bad manners.
To behave like Turgenev's prude is such bad manners.
It is also worth noting the morphology of the word “bad manners”, which is a masculine noun, and it can be animate or inanimate, depending on what object it is applied to (an action or a person).
When is it appropriate to use the word?
Comme il faut is said to evaluate an action. For example, a person behaves appropriately in a given environment, which means it is comme il faut. Not comme il faut means that his manners, way of communication and behavior in general do not correspond to what is expected and something needs to be corrected. That is, in this context, “comme il faut” means correctly, as it should.
The word is used to evaluate a person as a whole, for example, his appearance. If the clothing meets the rules or requirements, it is comme il faut. If, for example, you come to an event with an evening dress code in a tracksuit, this is not comme il faut. In this case, the word means the same thing - as it should, correctly.
That is, no matter in what context the word comme il faut is used, it has a single meaning - correctly, appropriately, corresponds, as it should. It is impossible to use the term in a figurative sense or with irony, in a distorted form. Come il faut and not comme il faut always have the same meaning: right or wrong, wrong.
Closer to fashion
But still, we should not forget that the meaning of the word “come il faut” is closest to fashion. Therefore, it is advisable to apply this term to those people who dress correctly. Today read “stylish”, “fashionable”. Therefore, we can draw a simple conclusion that the term “come il faut” has acquired other meanings: glamorous, elegant, status, stylish. If it is used to apply to a person, it means that he has an impeccable style, demeanor, and image. “Come il faut” today is already a way of life. This term is also widely used in advertising. In this case it means a positive assessment. What is worth following, what you need to pay attention to in order to be in trend.
Interesting facts about the word.
It is generally accepted that Leo Tolstoy was very fond of the French phrase “comme il faut” or in our speech “come il faut” and very often used it in his works. In fact, in his work this word appears as often as in other writers. Turgenev, Aksenov, Saltykov-Shchedrin and many others used “comme il faut” to convey an assessment of some actions, behavior or appearance of different characters. Gogol is said to be the first to introduce the term into literature.
It is interesting that the word comme il faut, like the similar word bad manners, can be inclined. And if these words are not inclined, then they sound quite modern and appropriate. They can even be used in modern fashion and the internet. But words such as “commeille façade” and “bad manners” are not relevant at all, they resemble things from an old grandmother’s chest. They are practically never found in modern colloquial or literary speech.
Modern meaning
Based on all of the above, we can already draw a conclusion: the meaning of the borrowing in question remains the same as in the original version. Complying with the rules of good manners in various sectors of social life is comme il faut. In order to fit into the framework of decency in a certain situation, you should know its requirements in all possible details and nuances. The better we are aware of the foundations and orders established in a particular society, the easier it will be to adhere to good manners. Along with the definition of “come me il faut,” its opposite in meaning – bad manners – came to us from French. It is interpreted as the French version - behavior that does not correspond to the rules accepted in decent society. It is also used in speech to characterize the manner of dressing and speaking. The connection between “come il faut” and “bad manners” is simple: if you fail to adhere to comme il faut in a specific situation, then it will be bad manners.
Comme il faut in modern society.
The word is used quite often, but most often you can hear “not comme il faut,” that is, a negative assessment using a word that would mean: “not good, not decent, not comfortable.” This word most often refers to appearance, such as the combination of clothing or the appropriateness of an outfit. Can also refer to an assessment of physical appearance, such as hairstyle or haircut.
It is worth noting that, unlike the word “bad manners,” “not comme il faut” expresses a more individual attitude. Bad manners are non-compliance with rules or requirements. Come il faut or not comme il faut is a personal assessment of behavior or appearance.
How to use the word "come il faut"?
We have considered everything that may interest us regarding the meaning of the French phrase “come il faut”. What it is, what its original meaning is, synonyms and antonyms - we already know all this. But a foreign word has special rules for use in speech. Now a little about them. In a sentence, this word will be correctly used both as a definition and as a predicate derived from a noun. If previously various French borrowings were perceived by society as something ostentatious, manifestations of pseudo-aristocratism, today you can safely saturate your speech with them. In moderation, of course, so that your speech remains pleasant and understandable.
Cofilfo. History of appearance
Any living language contains the phenomenon of dynamism and one of the ways of language development is the borrowing of words. If you understand the system and method of borrowing words, the meaning of the word "come il faut" will be easy to establish.
Borrowings can be of two types. The first type - a more or less accurate sound is taken, then its natural adaptation is made to facilitate pronunciation. The second type is the separation of the components of a word or expression and the translation of part of the word into a borrowing language. To identify such borrowings, you need to have a broad linguistic horizon or a phenomenal linguistic sense. For example, few people realize that the word “Orthodox” is borrowed in Greek from “orthodox” (orthodox).
Throughout the centuries-old history of the Russian language, a large number of words from the languages of other peoples have come into circulation. A brief history of borrowings is as follows:
- in the X-XII centuries there were many Greekisms - roots coming from Greek culture.
- in the XII-XIV centuries Turkisms came: the Mongol yoke could not pass without leaving a trace on the language.
- further, the Time of Troubles, Cossack riots, splits and close cooperation with Poland. Polonisms appeared in the Russian language - that is, borrowings from the Polish language. Then, of course, the meaning of the word “come il faut” was not known.
- Peter I loved Dutch and German culture, and this also did not go unnoticed by the Russians. This is how a number of Germanisms were developed, especially in the military and shipbuilding industries.
- in the second half of the 18th and 19th centuries, everyone, as you know, was crazy about France and French culture in general. The meaning of the word “come il faut” was then known to any child with “good manners and moral standards.” Translated from French, the phrase “come il faut” means “as needed.” Gallicisms occupied many areas of life - military art, painting, fashion. Sometimes we don’t even know about Gallicisms in our native language: battalion, boa, marmalade, tights, broth, comme il faut. The importance of Gallicisms in the Russian language is difficult to overestimate. They certainly enriched our language with a variety of sound combinations. But now, unfortunately, many people have forgotten the meaning of some borrowed words and this is not comme il faut! The meaning of a word is the least we need to know about it.
- Let’s also mention the 20th century, known for its Anglicisms and Americanisms. They came along with the fashion for jeans and McDonald's, they appeared along with thin models, iPhones, rock culture and dollars.
- and undoubtedly, the 21st century, the first century of the new millennium, will also bring us new phenomena and new borrowings.
Thus, you probably already realized that the word “come il faut” appeared through borrowing of the first type: the more or less accurate sound in French underwent a natural adaptation to facilitate pronunciation. And in French it is written as “comme il faut” (comme il faut - clumsy pronunciation, translation - comme il faut).
What leaked in Kamchatka?
The Russian Oceanographic Society reported the poisoning of the waters of the Pacific Ocean in the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky area. … “A terrible thing happened - something poisonous leaked into our Pacific Ocean. The whole bottom is dead. Octopuses, fish, starfish and urchins are all dead from Cape Nalychev to Avacha Bay.
Interesting materials:
What is increased libido? What is cognition and forms of cognition? What is the truth for the heroes of the play at the bottom? What is a preposition? What prepositions are there? What are prepositions? What prepositions are there? What is a pre-order for IVI? What is pre-ordering clothes? What is an advantage in traffic rules? What are video presets? What is forward and reverse azimuth?
