It has been known since school that in the first half of the 19th century, the nobility in Russia spoke mainly French. Some especially zealous fans to kick in every possible way those who lived in our country in the past, generally like to tell that they say the nobles knew French, almost better than Russian. Of course, this is mostly a stereotype, and it is greatly exaggerated. It cannot be said that such a phenomenon was absent altogether, but the stories that the aristocrats spoke among themselves only in French, and during the war of 1812, soldiers from the peasants allegedly did not always distinguish their officers from Napoleon's officers in the dark by conversation - nothing more than an ideological tale … Yes, Voltaire's language in those years was really in vogue among representatives of the aristocracy, and not only in Russia. But it was just fashion and a desire to show off your knowledge of French in front of others,but nothing more. To say that supposedly only one foreign language was spoken to each other is an exaggeration. Maybe in secular salons and show off like swearing in front of a friend, but not in ordinary life. After all, the letters of the aristocracy of those times have survived, and it is perfectly visible in what language it was conducted. And the writers of the first half of the 19th century, nevertheless, wrote in Russian. Although Pushkin in his early years has poetry in French. But this is more of pampering. Although Pushkin in his early years has poetry in French. But this is more of pampering. Although Pushkin in his early years has poetry in French. But this is more of pampering.
Derzhavin's letter to Zhikharev. Presumably between 1906 and 1916. For some reason French speech is not visible.
But to this day there is one country where the fashion for the French language not only went beyond all limits of decency, but also left its mark on state symbols. And this imprint has remained there to this day.
Of course, we are talking about … Britain. Now every pubertal teenager is trying to insert as many Englishisms into his vocabulary as possible. It is now that people who are at least a little interested in history, or at least an artistic interpretation of this very story, know about the proud and majestic British Empire, which nightmares half of the earth's globe, and rampant all over the world. It is now, English is the most widely spoken language in the world, spoken in many countries and recognized internationally.
But how did it happen that in such a steep country as Bruce Willis's bald head, the inscriptions on the coat of arms are not even in English. Did not know? Take a closer look at the bottom of the UK coat of arms. What's on the tape? “Dieu et mon droit” - well, experts in foreign languages, how is this phrase translated from English? And from English it is not translated in any way. Because it's French. "God and my right" - reads this French inscription. True, there are some other letters on the coat of arms. Here on its standard version, on the tape that wraps around the shield, one more inscription is visible: “Honi soit qyi mal y pense”. Maybe it's in English at least? Not. And this inscription is also done in French. "Shame on the one who thinks badly about it." I wonder what they mean? Thinks badly about whatthe fact that all the inscriptions on the British coat of arms are made in French?
In general, even before Britain became the coolest of the cool, there were times when she was ashamed of her language. In 1066, after the victory of the Normans over the Saxons, it suddenly became clear that everything English means something different. Well, at least against the background of French. Everyone knows that this was not the case in noble Europe, and there even the conquerors exuded such nobility that they never pinched the conquered peoples. However, somehow magically it happened that the new owners of the British land, suddenly began to point out the wild Saxons in their place. Yes, so successfully that the British nobility not only began to speak French everywhere, in order to look more civilized, but actually recognized communication in English as the height of bad taste and bad manners. This is the British national identity. French speech penetrated not only into the life of the aristocracy, but also into official correspondence. All state documents were kept in French, and French words were even found on the coat of arms.
Times have changed, the coat of arms has repeatedly undergone changes. However, to remove foreign words from him, so, to this day, no one has guessed. Apparently the inferiority complex of the great British, against the background of the French, was so strong that somewhere in the subconscious, it persisted for centuries. How else to explain this? Love for tradition? Well, yes, after all, any connoisseur of European culture will tell you how reverently the British are about traditions. They say since these tapes with French inscriptions once appeared there, then they must be very dear to prim and conservative Britons. Maybe a good excuse, but not this time. Indeed, over the centuries, the coat of arms has changed not only significantly, but radically. The animals that hold the shield and other elements changed. Everything changed, but not the language in which the inscriptions were made.
Against this background, giggles about the Russian nobility allegedly speaking French at the beginning of the 19th century cease to be giggles. It turns out that this is not the only way. But only those who like to laugh at our past, for some reason do not want to laugh at the British.
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