Diplomacy is an area of activity where the human personality plays an important role. The responsibility for negotiations, signing agreements, conventions, treaties - all this falls on the shoulders of diplomatic representatives.

In the modern diplomatic language, the word diplomat serves as a generalized name for persons engaged in diplomatic activities. This word entered the Russian language quite late: having appeared for the first time in the 80s of the XVIII century, it begins to be used from the beginning of the XIX century. Until the XVIII century, the function of the word diplomat was performed by a polysemous agent in one of its meanings "diplomatic representative".

The foreign-language term agent has gone through a long historical path of development and reinterpretation of meanings and did not immediately become part of the Russian diplomatic terminology system.

This term has been used since the 16th century as the name of trade commissioners sent abroad on temporary or one-time assignments. In the second half of the XVII century, the widespread use of the word agent in the sense of "sales representative of the company" contributed to the development of the word already on Russian soil. Due to the absence of permanent diplomatic representatives in the Moscow State, agents began to engage in diplomatic activities. Thus, the sign "representative" became the basis for further semantic development of the word agent: it penetrates the diplomatic sphere and is used in relation to foreign diplomatic representatives.

Only in the Russian language the word agent (XVII century) was used in the sense of "consul".

Since the beginning of the 18th century, an agent in the sense of "diplomatic representative" has been common in the reports of Russian diplomats and in official acts. By this time, the functions of diplomatic agents are clearly defined: "1. A person without a diplomatic rank, an official authorized by the Government for political relations, and

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observations at any foreign court" (Dictionary of the Russian language of the XVIII century, L., 1984, Issue 1).

In the 19th century, the word agent expands the boundaries of its use and is used in different genres of the language. In the literary language of the beginning of the XX century, a new meaning is formed on Russian soil in the word: "spy, instigator", " provocateur, a person who incites the intended victim to illegal actions solely in order to cause confusion and bring her under punishment "(Lexika russkogo literaturnogo yazyka XIX-early XX veka. Moscow, 1981).

Throughout the 20th century, the word agent has been associated with the negative meanings of "secret", "engaged in espionage activities":

"I know he's a spy, an agent from Surete generale [General Security-G. U.]. I'm being watched. They open letters, spy, eavesdrop, and try to engage in conversation. There are many spies. I stopped one of them once: "Look, watch me in secret. You must secretly follow" (Unknown manuscript by B. V. Savinkov. The banner. 1994. N 5); "In a country where they had not heard of avocado and broccoli, where plainclothes agents (according to rumors) watched every movement of foreigners" (Kenzheev B. Plateau / / Znamya. 1992. N 3-4).

Such meanings to some extent prevent the active use of the word agent in the sense of "diplomatic representative", although as a general name for diplomatic representatives and diplomatic personnel, agent is used in international law and diplomatic practice.

The word diplomat was borrowed from the French language (1792). Compared to the source language, the scope of its meanings was limited: the word was used in its direct meaning "a person engaged in diplomatic activities". It is first noted in the Encyclopedic Lexicon (1839).

Early examples of the use of the word diplomat were related to the narrow linguistic sphere of diplomats and court society. In the 19th century, the profession of a diplomat is becoming extremely popular and prestigious, and many young people are striving to make a diplomatic career. The isolation of diplomatic life dictated a special "behavioral" style, group norms of assessment and thinking. Being a diplomat in the mass consciousness of that time meant leading a special way of life, occupying a privileged position in society, having a reputation as an educated and intelligent person, and being distinguished by original judgments.

In the 19th century, the perception of a diplomat as a person engaged in solving interstate problems is replaced by a somewhat simplified perception of the" external " manifestations of the profession: impeccable manners, correctness, restraint and taciturnity, elegance and severity of clothing, etc. Interesting observations on this issue

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It is found in Leo Tolstoy and other writers of the XIX century: "Volodya's friends called me a diplomat, because once, after dinner at the deceased grandmother's, she once talked about our future in front of them, said that Volodya would be a military man, and that she hoped to see me as a diplomat, in a black tailcoat and with a hairdo a la coq, which, in her opinion, is a necessary condition for a diplomatic title " (Leo Tolstoy. Adolescence); "From the look of the paper, the style of the letter, the way it was written, I knew from the first minute that it came from a foreigner, from a man of high society, from a diplomat" (Pushkin. Letter to Mr. A. H. Benckendorff, dated November 21, 1836).: "Vasily Takev is a professional diplomat. This is evident not only in his bearing and bearing, but also in his speech, which is rich in political, international, and legal vocabulary." 1998. January 31).

In the fiction of the XIX century, the images of diplomats were fixed, "whose whole soul is occupied exclusively with ceremonial, and their thoughts and aspirations are directed for years to move at least one chair higher at the common table" (Goethe). However, it should be recognized that real diplomats " have a sharp political vision, fundamental knowledge of international problems, understand economic and cultural issues, are able to evoke respect for their word, their actions, and, finally, are not without that feeling at their fingertips-fingerspitzen-gefuhl (when communicating, extracting and evaluating information) which distinguishes a diplomat by vocation from a "reluctant diplomat". " (an. Kovalev. ABC of Diplomacy).

According to the diplomat Y. Y. Solovyov, at the end of the XIX century, young people who entered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had to pass a diplomatic exam in international law, political economy and foreign languages. In addition, it was necessary to submit written works in Russian and French in the form of extracts from diplomatic correspondence, an economic report on any country and an analysis of a legal case from the field of the consular court (Solovyov Yu. Ya. Memoirs of a diplomat. 1893-1922. Moscow, 1959).

In the second half of the 19th century, the word diplomat went beyond the" group "dictionary of diplomats: it became well-known and penetrated into written speech:" There were senators, generals out of work, and diplomats of the Bestuzhev school " (Krestovsky. Grandfathers); "The whole city, ladies, diplomats, authors, acquaintances and strangers fill the rooms, inquire about the dying [Pushkin - G. U.]" (A. I. Turgenev. Letter to A. I. Nefedyeva, January 29, 1837); " Catherine knew how to use that smile, that abandon, with which she charmed the whole of Russia, diplomats and scientists, for thirty years afterwards

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all of Europe, tie Dashkova to you forever " (A. I. Herzen. Princess Ekaterina Romanovna Dashkova).

Thus, the linguistic isolation of the diplomatic language and the attitude to what is established in it did not contribute to the involvement of a large number of words in the circle of meanings of "diplomatic representative/authorized representative". In the process of using the words agent and diplomat in the marked meaning, the word diplomat, which is semantically related to a group of single - root words-diplomacy, diplomatic-won.

Further understanding of the word diplomat leads to a secondary borrowing from the source language of figurative meanings that appear in dictionaries later (50s-60s of the XIX century).

Among the figurative meanings can be called those that are fixed in colloquial speech - "a person who subtly and skillfully conducts business that requires communication with others": "Where did Volodya go? Nekhludoff asked me.

"I don't know," I answered, blushing at the thought that they must have guessed why Volodya had come out.

"That's right, he doesn't have any money! Really? Oh! a diplomat, " he added in the affirmative, explaining my smile." Adolescence); " Andrey Kirillovich! - Suvorov usually answered these hints, - after all, I am not a diplomat, but a soldier " (Krestovsky. Grandfathers). Compare modern:" With these "buffets" and Italian catch words, Stasik, a cunning diplomat, reduced the situation " (S. Abramov. A series of magical changes to a cute face);

Yesterday I went to the Politburo and found out how Yeltsin was filmed... Yegor answered him reasonably, with dignity, calmly and without matting: "You're a strong guy, but you don't look like a diplomat, Boris. Put down the axe"

(A. Eremenko. Message to Andrey Kozlov in Sverdlovsk about glasnost, written in November 1987 / / Znamya. 1992. N 1).

In the same sense, the word diplomatic was used: "[The aunt], as a skilled diplomat, was the first to shower reproaches on Nadenka, exposing her act in the blackest form in the eyes of Alexander " (Goncharov. An ordinary story).

Especially often in the 19th century, the word diplomatic was used in the sense of "evasive, subtly calculated": the semantics of this word opened up wide compatibility possibilities. Some of the phrases that have emerged have become stable - diplomatic tricks, tricks, subtleties, answers. Others have met

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more rarely, for example, the phrase diplomatic illness "fictitious illness as a pretext for avoiding doing something", noted in the Dictionary of Modern Russian Literary Language (Vol. 3). Cf. peculiar medical associations in the modern context with the word diplomatic: "Pavel Nikolaevich was ill at heart. And then Chernov and others were pecking at him: quickly, quickly, change diplomats, with the same haste as Guchkov changed his generals. As if the sensitizing fibers of the diplomatic body allowed such a crude surgery " (A. Solzhenitsyn. April of the Seventeenth).

It should be noted that under the influence of the idea of the special character of the diplomatic profession in the Russian language system at different times, a generalized figurative meaning appeared in the word diplomat "allegedly characteristic of diplomats".

In the 19th century, the word diplomat had a figurative meaning of " a long spring or autumn coat of a special cut, as if hiding a person "(ist.). See an example from the Dictionary of Modern Russian Literary language: "Only if you go, go put on a warmer diplomat," Vasily Andreich L. Tolstoy said. Master and employee."

And already in our time, in the 70s of the XX century, a diplomat began to be called a flat briefcase-suitcase: "Miroshnikov pulled out a notebook from the "diplomat" and began to write down" (O. Smirnov. Inheritance), "I started to open the briefcase, and between the notebooks and books it was the Swiss officer's knife that flew out at the feet of the frozen hostess" (M. Weller. Seryozha Dovlatov's knife).

It is obvious that the new meanings that have taken shape in the word diplomat in modern Russian are peculiar to the colloquial speech sphere.

Baku, Azerbaijan

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