Proper names that have become common nouns. Surnames that have become common nouns. Uncle Sam The image of Uncle Sam is associated with both the US government and the United States as a whole. He is drawn either as a kind merry fellow, or as an evil old man - depending

History has preserved a lot of information about murderers. Among them come across such villains, whose names have become common nouns as the personification of absolute evil. Of course, many of them have done a lot of dashing, but whether they are guilty of what they have been accused of for centuries, we will try to figure it out further in the review.

Dracula

The ruler of Wallachia, Vlad III Tepes, became a real embodiment of otherworldly evil not in the 15th century, when he ruled, but in 1897 after the release of Bam Stoker's novel Dracula. The novelist described him as a ruthless blood-drinking vampire. If we turn to history, then everything was somewhat different.

Dracula means "dragon" in Romanian. And this nickname has nothing to do with mysticism. Vlad's father was a member of the Order of St. George, which was also called the Order of the Dragon. The ruler of Wallachia received another nickname Tepes for executions by impalement. But given that in those days this method of deprivation of life was quite common, in the eyes of his subjects, Dracula was not such a cruel ruler.

Salieri

With the light hand of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin, who wrote the Little Tragedies cycle, the composer Antonio Salieri was considered a villain who killed the wonderful musical genius Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Allegedly out of envy, Salieri poisoned him. There is even the concept of "Salieri syndrome", which implies the aggressive behavior of one in relation to the success of another. In fact, envy was present, but it was quite the opposite.

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Perhaps everyone at least once heard about the child-killing king Herod. The Gospel of Matthew details the episode in which Herod is informed of the birth of a child (Jesus) who will overthrow the king from his throne. Then the ruler gives the order to kill all the boys in the city under the age of two.

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When they say "Glory to Herostat", they mean shameful and insignificant fame. This expression has its roots in ancient Greece. In 356 BC. e. in the city of Ephesus, the temple of Artemis of Ephesus burned down. The culprit was someone named Herostat. During interrogation, he admitted that he set fire to the temple in order to glorify himself in history, since he had no other virtues.

Herostat was executed, and his shameful name was forbidden to be mentioned by the authorities. But today it is still known, because the ancient Greek historian Theopompus described this case, thereby glorifying Herostat for centuries.

On this one could put an end, but there is one "but". In ancient times, in temples, not only called upon the gods and performed rituals, but also collected the money savings of the parishioners for safekeeping. After the fire, the gold stored in the Temple of Artemis suddenly disappeared. Most likely, Herostat was just a performer, diverting attention from another crime.

There are also many real murderers in Russian history. Among them, without hesitation, can be attributed

The philanthropist was essentially the Minister of Culture, although there was no such position at that time.

Confidential relations with Octavian Augustus allowed him to express his dissenting opinion on many issues, which might not coincide with the position of the emperor. The philanthropist was essentially the Minister of Culture, although there was no such position at that time.

In the reception area of ​​the Maecenas. Painting by Stepan Bakalovich

He paid much attention to supporting talents, scientists, artists, and, first of all, poets. He helped Virgil to return the seized estate, Horace gave his own. The death of Maecenas was a real tragedy for the Romans.

The patron presents the liberal arts to Emperor Augustus. Painting by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo

Lovelace

Sir Robert Lovelace (Lovelace) is a treacherous seducer from the Enlightenment novel Clarissa by Samuel Richardson. The main character is a 16-year-old aristocrat who they want to pass off as a hated but rich groom.

Sir Robert Lovelace - treacherous seducer from the novel "Clarissa" by Samuel Richardson

Lovelace kidnaps Clarissa, settles with her in a brothel, where women of easy virtue, hired by him, portray his noble relatives. The girl does not reciprocate his courtship, then Lovelace takes possession of her, having drunk sleeping pills. Clarissa refuses to marry him and dies. Lovelace will die in a duel.

Boycott

The name of this form of protest was given by a retired British Army officer.

Charles Cunningham Boycott

Charles Cunningham Boycott was steward of the lands in Ireland that belonged to an English lord. A series of crop failures led to widespread famine and even displacement from the region. The trade union organization demanded a reform that would allow the free acquisition of plots and the establishment of a fair rent. Boycott began to reduce the workforce. Then the Land League of Ireland made it so that the manager could no longer hire new workers.

Captain Boycott harvests with his family

In addition, Boycott and his family began to be harassed and persecuted. The neighbors ignored them, the postmen did not give letters and parcels, and the shops refused to serve him. At the end of 1880, Boycott had to leave Ireland, and then he left the country altogether.

Shrew

In Greek mythology, Megara is one of the goddesses of vengeance. In translation, her name means "hostile". Together with two sisters - erinia (among the Romans - furies), she was born from the blood of castrated Uranus.

Erinyes tormenting Orestes. Painting by William Bouguereau

He lives in the underworld, where he punishes people for crimes, especially for murders and adultery.

Hooligan

A man named Hooligan lived near London at the end of the 19th century. He is referred to in police reports as a brawler and a thief.

There is a version that not only Patrick Hooligan, but his entire family had a bad temper. They allegedly owned an inn. Hooligans robbed and killed their guests. According to other sources, the same family owned a private school, the students of which were brutally dealt with.

Proper names that have become common nouns Language is the greatest wealth of every nation. But here's how interesting it turns out: using this wealth, we do not always know exactly (or even do not know at all) the source of origin of certain words, we do not know how they got into our language and what they originally meant. And by the way, linguistics is very interesting. Particularly impressive are the words, the origin of which is associated with very real historical figures who did not leave the public indifferent, and therefore their names became common nouns. Eponymous words, as etymologists call them, are common, but we do not think about their existence. 1. Macintosh (cloak) - got its name in honor of the Scottish technologist Charles Mackintosh, who invented a way to make fabric waterproof. In 1823, Charles, conducting another experiment, smeared the sleeve of his jacket with a rubber solution and after a while noticed that the sleeve of the jacket did not get wet. He patented this invention and founded Charles Macintosh and Co. for the production of waterproof products - macs. 2. Cardigan - was named in honor of General James Thomas Bradnell, the seventh head of the County of Cardigan, who is credited with the invention of this garment in order to warm the uniform uniform. 3. Whatman - high quality white thick paper got its name in honor of the English paper manufacturer James Whatman, who in the mid-1750s introduced a new paper form that made it possible to obtain sheets of paper without traces of a grid. 4. Breeches - the name of the trousers is given by the name of the French general Gaston Galifet (1830–1909), who introduced them for cavalrymen. Later, riding breeches were borrowed by other armies, and even later they entered men's and women's fashion. 5. Guppy - English priest and scientist Robert John Lemcher Guppy, who in 1886 made a report to members of the Royal Society, in which he spoke about fish that do not spawn, but give birth to live young. After that, he was laughed at. 6. Tolstoy - this popular type of clothing was named after the great Leo Tolstoy, although the writer himself wore a shirt of a slightly different cut. 7. Guillotine - the instrument of execution is named after the French doctor Joseph-Ignace Guyotin, who, although he did not invent it, in 1789 for the first time suggested cutting off heads using this mechanism, which was considered "more humane." 8. Tapestry - the word originated in France in the 17th century, when the royal tapestry manufactory was opened there, the products of which were very popular, and in some countries everything that was done using the tapestry weaving technique was called a tapestry. 9. Olivier - the famous salad got its name in honor of its creator, chef Lucien Olivier, who owned the Hermitage restaurant of Parisian cuisine in Moscow in the early 60s of the 19th century. 10. Begonia - named after the French nobleman Michel Begon (1638-1710), intendant of the French colonies in the Caribbean, who organized a scientific expedition to the Antilles to collect plants. 11. Maecenas - the name comes from the name of the Roman Gaius Cilnius Maecenas, who was the patron of the arts under Emperor Augustus. 12. Saxophone - The instrument is named after Adolphe Sax (1814–1894), the Belgian inventor of musical instruments. Sachs died in poverty because there was no jazz then. 13. Sandwich - Named for John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich (1718–1792), London minister and gambler who is said to have invented it while playing cribbage. The game had been going on for several hours, and the minister did not find time to eat. John Montagu asked to be served food between two slices of bread. His fellow gamers liked this way of eating on the go and ordered sandwich bread too. 14. Silhouette - Etienne de Silhouette (1709-1767), being the general controller of finances in France under Louis XV, taxed the external signs of wealth (doors and windows, farms, luxury goods, servants, profits). He stayed at his post for only 8 months. His name was associated with "cheap painting" - instead of an expensive portrait, it is cheaper and faster to circle the shadow of a person. 15. Mausoleum - a funerary structure named after the magnificent tomb of the Carian king Mausolus in the city of Halicarnassus in modern Turkey. 16. Attic - the word comes from the name of the 17th century French architect Mansard, who invented cheap attic space. 17. Jacuzzi - Italian Candido Yakuzzi (Jacuzzi) invented the jacuzzi (jacuzzi is the wrong "American" pronunciation of this Italian surname, which, however, is firmly rooted in many languages ​​​​of the world). 18. Hooligan is the surname of an Irish family with a very violent temper. Leading the charge was young Partick the Hooligan, whose name kept popping up in police reports and newspaper chronicles. 19. Charlatan - the word charlatan, according to legend, comes from the name of the French doctor Charles Laten. He carried out meaningless operations, promising a full recovery, and, having received the money, went into hiding. And the unfortunate patients only got worse. 20. Boycott - named after the British steward in Ireland, Charles Boycott (1832–1897), whose land the Irish refused to cultivate and began a campaign to isolate Boycott from local society.

Many of these words are familiar to us from childhood. Let's take a closer look at historical figures whose names have become common nouns.

Maecenas

Gaius Maecenas was a statesman in the Roman Empire. Friendly relations with the emperor allowed the Maecenas to openly express his position on most issues. Often it differed from the opinion of the head of state.

In fact, Gaius Zilnius was the Minister of Culture. He spent most of his time supporting talented people: scientists, artists, poets. He gave Horace a whole estate, and Virgil was able to return the illegally seized housing. The death of Maecenas was a serious loss for the inhabitants of Rome.

Lovelace

Sir Robert Lovelace is a skilled lover from the book "Clarissa", the author of which was S. Richardson. The novel was published during the dawn of the Enlightenment. The heroine of the story is a sixteen-year-old girl of noble birth, who they want to marry to a wealthy, but unloved man.

Lovelace steals Clarissa and settles with her in a brothel, where the prostitutes hired by him play the role of noble cousins ​​of a young man. Clarissa, no matter how hard the kidnapper tries, does not return his feelings. Then he deprives her of innocence by giving her sleeping pills. Even after this, the girl refuses to marry a man and dies.

And at the end of the story, Lovelace dies in a duel.

Boycott

This form of rebellion was named after the British retired officer Charles Boycott. He was the manager of an estate in Ireland, which belonged to a noble lord.

The crop failure provoked famine. Many Irish residents decided to leave the region, then the trade union organization demanded reform. It was supposed to allow the purchase of plots of land and establish an adequate rent for the use of these plots.

Boycott started laying off workers. Then the Irish Land League did everything possible to prevent him from hiring people. In addition, Boycott and his family became "untouchable". Neighbors did not communicate with them, postmen did not deliver correspondence, and shopkeepers did not sell food. In 1880 Captain Bycott was forced to leave Ireland and then Great Britain.

Shrew

According to Greek mythology, Megara is the goddess of revenge. With her Fury sisters, she was reborn from the blood of Uranus. Megaera lives in Hades, where she punishes people for murder and adultery.

Mr. Hooligan lived in Britain in the 19th century. The police listed him as a thief and troublemaker. However, not only Patrick Hooligan had a difficult temper, but also all his relatives.

The family allegedly owned an inn. It was said that the guests of the Hooligans were killed and robbed. There were also rumors that this family was the owners of a private school, the pupils of which were treated cruelly.

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Become a product category symbol and fight it for the rest of your life.

Almost any brand dreams of a breakthrough in its niche and recognition. And when this happens, popularity itself can play a trick on trademarks: they lose patent protection and become household names.

website decided to recall the most interesting cases of such transformations.

Scuba

(Aqualung, Aqua Lung; from Latin aqua - “water” and English lung - “light”).

Trademark of a self-contained breathing apparatus for scuba diving, invented in 1943 by Frenchmen Jacques-Yves Cousteau and Émile Gagnan. Now the rights to the trademark belong to the American company Aqua Lung International, which is part of the international corporation Air Liquid. The word "scuba" has become common in Europe and the former USSR.

In the US, the word scuba comes from the English abbreviation scuba (self-contained underwater breathing apparatus).

Aspirin

(Aspirin: from "a" - "acetyl" and "spir" from Spiraea, the Latin name for meadowsweet - the plant from which salicylic acid was first chemically isolated).

Trademark under which the German pharmaceutical company Bayer produced acetylsalicylic acid from 1899 to 1918. As a result of the Treaty of Versailles, which obliged Germany to pay reparations to the Entente countries, Bayer lost its foreign property and rights to its trademarks in many countries of the world.

Petrolatum

(Vaseline; from German wasser - "water" and Greek elaion - "oil").

Trademark registered by the inventor of Vaseline (a mixture of mineral oil and solid paraffinic hydrocarbons), American chemist Robert Chesbrough in 1872. He founded Chesebrough Manufacturing Co. owned the rights to the trademark until 1987. Now the Vaseline trademark belongs to the international corporation Unilever.

Heroin

(Heroin; from German heroisch - “heroic”, “impressive with its power”; in such terms, the first volunteers who tested the drug described their emotional experiences).

Trademark owned by Bayer. It was registered in 1898. Heroin (diacetyl-morphine) was originally sold in pharmacies as a cough suppressant until it was found to be highly addictive as one of its side effects. In 1924, heroin was legally banned from production and sale in the United States. In Germany, it was sold in pharmacies by prescription until 1971.

Gramophone

(Gramophone; from the Greek gramma - "letter", "record" and phone - "sound").

Trademark of a revolutionary invention patented by the American Emil Berliner in 1887 - audio recordings on flat discs (gramophone records) and a device for playing them (before that, audio carriers were produced in the form of small cylinders coated with wax and played back on a phonograph - a device invented by Thomas Edison ten years previously).

Jacuzzi

(Jacuzzi - surname Jakuzi)

The name of the American company and brand under which the hot tubs are sold. It comes from the names of the seven brothers who founded it, immigrants from Italy. Founded in 1915, the Jacuzzi company was successful in the early years in the aircraft industry, but after the crash of their plane, which resulted in the death of one of the brothers, the family business was repurposed, and Jacuzzi began to produce hydraulic pumps.

The whirlpool bath owes its appearance to the five-year-old son of one of the brothers, who suffered from rheumatoid arthritis. Although the boy was undergoing hydrotherapy treatments at a local hospital, his father, Candido Jacuzzi, decided to adapt the hydraulic pump for a home bath.

Voice recorder

(Dictaphone; from Latin dicto - “I dictate” and Greek phone - “sound”)

Trademark under which the American company Columbia Graphophone began producing sound recording devices in 1907. Formed from Columbia Graphophone in 1923, Dictaphone has gone through several takeovers and is now part of the international American corporation Nuance Communications. Dictaphone is officially recognized in the US as one of the oldest surviving brands.

Jeep

Trademark owned by Chrysler. The word jeep already existed in the language; There are several versions regarding the origin of the trademark. According to one of the most popular, jeep goes back to the abbreviation GP (General Purpose - “universal”; the abbreviation denoted a class of cars). Another version attributes the authorship to the popular cartoon character Eugen the Jeep (Eugen the Jeep; was created in 1936) - a mysterious animal with magical abilities, whose name the soldiers called off-road vehicles capable of "passing everywhere."

According to the third version, the word became common after the publication in February 1941 of an article in the Washington Daily News newspaper, which reported on the new army off-road vehicles, "known as jeeps or quads" (quads, short for "square" - zd. "all-wheel drive vehicle "). None of these versions is generally accepted.

Yo-yo

(Yo-yo; from Filipino tayoyo, "to spin")

Trademark owned by the American company Yo-yo Manufacturing from its inception in 1928 until 1965. This year, a court decision was made, according to which yo-yo could no longer be considered a trademark, the word became a household word. It is believed that the birthplace of the yo-yo toy is the Philippines.

sneakers

A trademark that appeared in 1916 when the American company U.S. Rubber began producing canvas shoes with rubber soles. The Keds brand is now owned by the Stride Rite Corporation, which specializes in the production of sports shoes.

Adhesive plaster

(Leukoplast)

Products under the brand name Leukoplast were first introduced by the German company Beiersdorf in 1921.

Linoleum

(from Latin linum - “flax”, “linen” and oleum - “oil”)

Trademark registered by English linoleum inventor Frederick Walton in 1860. Interestingly, in the USA, linoleum began to be made 10 years later than in England, in a town called Linoleumville. After the transfer of production in 1931 to Philadelphia, local residents decided to give the city a new name - Travis.

Record player

(Magnetophon; from English magnet - "magnet" and Greek phone - "sound")

The name of the first magnetic tape recorder developed in the 1930s by engineers from the German company AEG.

Cologne

(eau de Cologne; from French - lit. "Cologne water")

The name of the famous perfume created by the Italian perfumer Johann (Giovanni) Maria Farina in Cologne in 1709. Currently serves as a household name for a class of perfume substances containing 2 to 5 percent essential oils. The perfume factory in Cologne is the oldest production in the world, managed by direct descendants of Farina in the eighth generation. The original Eau de Cologne, designed by Farina, is still produced at the factory according to a secret formula.

Pampers

(trademark of Procter & Gamble)

“Pampers” is now used to refer to all diapers, not just P&G products. Currently, the brand has replaced the word "diaper", it has become of little use.

Ping pong

(Ping-Pong; the name of the game is onomatopoeic from hitting the ball on the table; ping corresponds to a higher sound, pong to a lower one)

Trademark registered by the English company J. Jaques & Son in 1901. Table tennis originated in England in the 80s of the XIX century and by the beginning of the XX century it was known under the names Gossima, Whiff-Waff, Pim-Pam, Table Tennis, Indoor Tennis, Netto, Royal Game, etc., including Ping- Pong. Gradually, the variety of names was reduced to the two most popular - ping-pong and table tennis.

Primus

(Primus; from Latin "first")

Trademark for the first non-smoking kerosene stove and the name of the Swedish company that started producing it. The Primus kerosene stove was designed by inventor Frans Lindqvist in 1892 and proved to be very popular.

Spam

(SPAM; from the English abbreviation SPiced hAM - “spicy ham”)

tabloid

(Tabloid)

Trademark of the English pharmaceutical company Burroughs Wellcome. One of its founders, Henry Wellcome, patented in 1884 the name for the tablet medicines already being produced at that time. Under the Tabloid brand, the company produced medicines and tea. At the beginning of the 20th century, small format tabloid newspapers began to be called tabloids.

Thermos

(Thermos; from the Greek. thermos - "warm", "hot")

Trademark of the German company Thermos GmbH, which was the first to master the industrial production of vacuum containers in 1904. The thermos was invented by the English scientist Sir James Dewar in 1892 (in chemical laboratories, containers for storing liquefied gases are called Dewar vessels).

Toilet bowl

(Unitas; from Latin unitas - "unity")

According to a common misconception that has not escaped even dictionaries, the word comes from the name of the company that produced plumbing. In fact, the word owes its origin to the world's first all-ceramic (hence the name Unitas) toilet bowl, designed by the English engineer Thomas Twyford in 1883. Unitas was installed in the royal Buckingham Palace and exported, including to Russia, where it was accompanied by unprecedented success: “toilet” became a household word for all such items. The name patented in 1908 by the Swiss chemical engineer Jacques Branderberger for the transparent he invented recycled cellulose material. Cellophane is used primarily as a packaging material; it is often confused with polyethylene, with which it has nothing in common.

Escalator

(Escalator; from lat. scala - "ladder")

Trademark of the American company Otis Elevator, which at the beginning of the 20th century built the first mechanical device with moving stairs. Later, Otis lost its exclusive rights, and the word "escalator" was recognized as a household name for all "moving stairs".

Eskimo

(eskimo pie)

Trademark patented in 1922 by Danish-American Christian Nelson. Nelson came up with the idea to create chocolate-dipped ice cream after an incident at his father's candy store; the boy could not choose between ice cream and a chocolate bar - there was not enough money for both. In 1921, Nelson made some of the first popsicle packs, initially under the name I-Scream Bar. In the same year, he signed an agreement with chocolate maker Russell Stover, and after obtaining a patent for the Eskimo Pie trademark, they sold the rights to produce ice cream under this brand to many local manufacturers.

• In Africa, any coffee drink, regardless of brand and quality, is called "nescafe".
• Kleenex has become a household word for napkins in many English-speaking countries and beyond. Americans call all disposable wipes "Kleenex". And the Italians too.
• In Poland, any sneakers are called Adidas. And the players are "volkmen".
• In Israel, all mobile phones are called pelefon, after the name of the company that first started providing mobile phone services. Pelephone = "magic phone".
• In America, the well-known and common name for a vacuum cleaner is "hoover" - from the manufacturer Hoover.
• In Mongolia, copiers are called "Canons", since it was Canon that was the first company to import its equipment there.