Journal archive

Abstract: The article is devoted to the history of three words in Russian. They are all connected with labour and they appeared in professional communication between people. The words are zabor (fence), most (bridge) and plot (raft). These words have much in common, but they also have their specific features. In the past, in the middle ages in particular (XVI–XVII), they all referred to one and the same sphere of activity — the work with wood. From the point of view of linguistics, these words belong to one and the same part of speech — the noun; they name the result of activity. Verbs of the same root played a great role in the origin of these nouns (zabirat’, mostit’, plesti). Semantic development of the nouns zabor (fence), most (bridge) and plot (raft) has much in common. Three derivational nests were gradually formed. Their abstract meaning appeared and included these words in the group of abstract nouns with the meaning of protection, connection and foundation.