Proverbs: direct and portable meaning. "The seven nannies have a child without an eye": the meaning of the saying

Considering proverbs, linguists necessarily deepen in their origin. And, based on the etymology of the winged phrase, they establish its meaning. "The seven nannies have a child without an eye" - seemingly a simple proverb, but this is only at first glance.

Modern interpretation

Most modern dictionaries give such a meaning: "At seven nannies a child without an eye": if too many people are assigned to perform a task, the result can be zero or negative. In this case, the phrase "without an eye" is considered as "unattended". That is, a child entrusted to several caregivers may remain without supervision at all. After all, every nurse will hope that another will do the work for her.

Synonymous proverbs, when the "eye" is used in the meaning of "eye-sight"

This meaning "The seven nurses a child without an eye" is confirmed by the synonymous proverb "The seven shepherds do not herd." This winged phrase even by construction resembles the one that understands here.

By the way, in many Slavic languages, there are similar variations on the synonymous proverb. "There were seven shepherds in one little garland - so that wolves were dragged into the forest" - one of them. This value coincides with "The seven nurses a child without an eye" and with the Czech version "The more shepherds are larger, the higher the loss."

Brightly demonstrates an unfortunate result with several responsible and such a saying: "With two pilots, the ship will sink."

"Where the lords are rich, the cottage is not cleaned (not methena)" - the Polish version, which shows the lack of property of the premises, the disorder in it, even despite the many number of bosses.

The literal meaning of the proverb "At seven nannies a child without an eye"

But the interpretation of the phrase, when every word is perceived in the literal sense, can not be ignored. "Without an eye" some people perceive as "eyeless", that is, "blind".

If you delve into the meaning of this proverb, then it largely intersects with the first option. That is, when several nurses, nannies, caregivers are watching the child, there is a possibility of shifting responsibility from one to another, as a result of which the child remains without necessary attention and can lose sight.

And the proof of this approach to the semantic analysis of the saying can serve as folk proverbs and sayings from other languages. In translation into Russian, the Ukrainian version reads: "The seven nannies have a child without a nose" or "Where the nurse is a lot - a child without a head". Options for replacing "without a head" - either "without the navel", or even a "cripple".

Polish folk proverbs and sayings offer an even larger palette of "disability". So, a child, if he has a lot of nurse-mamas, can traditionally lose his eyes. And according to Ukrainian variants, he is predicted to remain without a nose or without a head. According to a purely Polish view of the situation, the child may well lose his arm or legs, become hunchbacked or have a painful look.

As can be seen from the comparative characteristics of all these proverbs, the number seven means not a concrete value, but appears in the sense of "a lot". And the combination "without an eye" just indicates the loss of an organ to a baby, after which an incorrect inspection is established.

There is no case where there is no agreement

Sometimes the proverb "At seven nannies a child without an eye" the meaning has a wider meaning. This happens in situations where each nanny (educator, educator) is sufficiently responsive to his function, but does not coordinate his demands with other people, who are also charged with this kind of duties.

If we consider this variant of the meaning of the winged phrase on just education, then this happens quite often in families where parents set themselves different tasks, sometimes diametrically opposed. Therefore, the requirements they have for the child are mutually exclusive. What will be the result of such education - it is understandable and without words.

This version of the interpretation of the proverb is in tune with the situation of Krylov's fables "Swan, Cancer and Pike".

Using the saying "At seven nannies a child without an eye"

Based on the above, we can draw the following conclusion.

1. Speaking of an enterprise, organization of a case where the duties of each member are not specifically specified, it is difficult to count on a positive result. Example: "There are a lot of bosses in our house management, but there is no benefit from it, one harm. And look to find the culprit, so you'll be knocked off your feet sooner: everyone nods at his neighbor, and no one cares about anything! So it turns out that seven mothers and a child without supervision. "
2. Based on the variant of the proverb meaning that the child is deprived of some body with the participation of several nurse-mummies in the educational process, it is possible to propose the use of the phrase in this context: "For the construction of the house, both chiefs responded, as a result poor quality concrete was used, and a collapse of the upper Floor. Truly they say that the seven nannies have a chrome child and crooked! "
3. Rarely used sense of the proverb, when each leader (educator) puts forward his demands without coordinating them with other supervisors, is reflected in the sentence: "The head teacher for educational work requires during the change to organize games with children in recreation, the director arranges" five-minute "in the teacher's room, and The head teacher on the training makes you prepare the board for the next lesson, and you intervene between their demands, as a result, one first-grader broke a glass with his head, another decided to go home at once, without waiting for the end of lessons and an ode to him the parents, and the third in the toilet fell asleep on the toilet. So much for the seven nurses, and each for itself ... "