What does the phrase “sing praises” mean?

It immediately came to mind fable about the cuckoo and the rooster who just did nothing but praise each other.
Their speeches can be called dithyrambs. These are eulogies.

Previously, there was nothing reprehensible about them.
Previously - I mean in Ancient Greece.

History of the expression

I invite you to familiarize yourself with the history of this expression:

Once upon a time in Ancient Greece, these were chants and dances praising Dionysus. And he, in turn, was the revered god of wine. This holiday was held at a time when grapes were being harvested, and carried the idea of ​​paying tribute to nature and its gifts. Naturally, all these events were not complete without orgies - immeasurable libations, frenzied dancing, and hymns. The expression originated in Athens, although there is evidence that the “dithyrambs” are hymns from the island of Delos.

In Greece there were special rules performance of praises:

• Special rhythm.
• Performed only with a specific instrument - aulos (a tube similar to an oboe)
• The performance style is necessarily pretentious.

When the time for praise passed, there were moments of attempts to revive this genre. Thus, in Europe during the Renaissance, songs began to appear praising the Church, princes, and all kinds of political figures. It was then that the expression acquired a sarcastic meaning, which remains to this day.

The current meaning calls for condemning flattery, praise, the purpose of which is to obtain benefits. Speeches in which there is not a drop of sincerity.

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Sing praises- means to lavish overly enthusiastic praise. Sing praises- this is when someone is exorbitantly glorified or praised. Origin Sing praises phraseology, its roots go deep into the culture of Ancient Greece.

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Phraseologism « Dithyrambs sing» meaning. During the time of the ancient Greeks praises called songs of praise performed to glorify the god of wine Dionysus. These songs were sung during noisy celebrations - bacchanalia.

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A complete dictionary of synonyms in the Russian language. " Sing praises" - meaning and the origin of the expression. Sing praises. Genre dithyramb and panegyric, hymn - one of the most ancient. It arose back in ancient Greek literature and was intended to praise the gods.

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Dithyrambs sing. In the ancient, Greco-Roman world dithyramb originally called a song of praise in honor of the god of wine and joy, Dionysus Bacchus; Such songs were sung at noisy festivals in our days " sing praises" means: to glorify, to praise immoderately.

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Sing praises- excessively, enthusiastically praise someone or something. But what is due to God is not due to a mere mortal. Therefore the expression " sing praises" towards to a common person carries a hint of irony and is spoken with disapproval.

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Popular expression " sing praises" is synonymous with insincere and false praise. To learn more about the origin of the expression " sing praises“, it is necessary to turn to ancient Greek history.

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Word: Dithyrambs sing. Description: in the ancient, Greco-Roman world dithyramb originally called a song of praise in honor of the god of wine and joy, Dionysus Bacchus; Such songs were sung at noisy festivals - bacchanalia.

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Turns out praises sang back in ancient Greece, after the grape harvest, at celebrations dedicated to Dionysus, the god of wine. By the way, Dionysus himself is also called Dithyramb, which translated from Greek means “two-gate.”

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Originated from the name praises- songs of praise in honor of the god of wine and the vine, Dionysus, sung during processions dedicated to this deity. Dithyrambs- song of praise. In the ancient, Greco-Roman world dithyramb originally called laudatory...

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Sing praises- Russian phraseological dictionary

SING PRAIMS to whom; to what. SING PRAIMS to whom; to what. Iron. To praise someone or something excessively enthusiastically. [In St. Petersburg] they feed me lunches and sing vulgar to me praises and at the same time ready to eat me (Chekhov.

Sometimes we hear people say about someone who praises someone else immoderately: “Yes, these are continuous praises!” quite common, but how many people know that it came to us from Greek language? And once upon a time it had a completely different meaning than it does now, and was not used in an ironic sense at all. Let's get acquainted with the history of this phraseological unit and how its understanding has changed over time.

What does "dithyramb" mean in Greek?

Long ago, this word denoted high-flown choral songs of praise and even dances performed in honor of the ancient Dionysus. Since these festivities during the grape harvest were dedicated to nature and its fertility, they were accompanied by so-called orgies - drinking wine, feasting and even, as some authors claim, promiscuity of the participants. But whether this really happened is not known for sure. We only know that the admirers of Dionysus experienced sacred madness while dancing, and the people sang hymns dedicated to him.

A little history

The earliest dithyrambs are believed to be choral hymns from the island of Delos. However, many of the poetic passages that have come down to us are Athenian. It was from them that the expression “singing praises” came. The meaning of this phrase in Athens was very simple. About fifty men and boys, dressed as satyrs, stood in a circle and sang hymns to Dionysus, accompanied by a professional theater choir, and sometimes some musical instruments. Each choir was led by a so-called “luminary”. Subsequently, in ancient Greece, criteria were even developed for what a dithyramb is. First of all, the text of a choral song must have a special rhythm and be antistrophic. It should be accompanied by the accompaniment of an aulos, and even in the Phrygian manner. In addition, it requires a special, very solemn and pathetic style. Between choirs singing dithyrambs at ancient festivals such as Dionysia and Lenaia.

Music and literature

Thus, the most ancient hymns that were so called were folk. But later they acquired an individual character. The earliest dithyramb was apparently composed by the poet Archilochus in honor of the "Lord Dionysus", as evidenced by a 7th century BC text. However, Herodotus attributes the palm to a certain Arion from Lesbos. So, dithyrambs are a special kind of ancient Greek music and literature, close to what is meant by a hymn and panegyric. But this word has other meanings. Two centuries after Arion, the poet Bacchylides even brought this genre closer to dramatic dialogue performed to choral singing. The famous poet Pindar also became famous for his pathetic lines. The dithyramb genre became most widespread in the fifth century BC. It was led by poets of the so-called “ new music" The most well-known representatives of this direction were Timothy of Miletus, Melanippides and Philoxetus from the island of Kythera. A hundred years later, the genre began to decline, and then completely lost popularity, although competitions between choirs singing praises continued until the conquest of Greece by Rome.

What do philosophers say?

Although the word was popular in antiquity, its origin is not Greek. Dithyrambs - this, apparently, was one of the ancient epithets of the god of wine. The philosopher Plato in the dialogue “Laws” talks about different meanings musical genres. There he says as follows: “I think that the birth of Dionysus is called a dithyramb.” And in his famous “Republic”, which dates back to the fourth century BC, Plato gives another interpretation of the word “dithyramb”. He understands the meaning of this term in poetry as an exceptional way of the author's poetic self-expression, bordering on ecstasy. Plutarch speaks of a dithyramb as a stormy speech filled with enthusiasm. He contrasts the hymns written in this style with the calmer and more harmonious praises of Apollo. Aristotle believes that this is the basis and source. The poet Vahilidas, already mentioned by us, calls this the dialogue between the singer and the choir in tragedy. The choir was then replaced by another actor.

In New History

Europe tried to return to the dithyramb during the Renaissance. Then various odes of praise appeared to the princes of the Church and secular politicians. But already in those days such a poetic genre was looked at critically and mockingly. Dithyrambs became especially popular in the Baroque era, when the authors tried to revive ancient festivals. Greatest success this musical and poetic genre emerged in Italy and, especially, in Germany, where the poets of Sturm und Drang, such as Franz Schiller, were fond of it. The composer Schubert also wrote a composition based on pathetic text of a similar style. And Friedrich Nietzsche even tried to create something similar to the original “Bacchanalian” dithyrambs, albeit with a satirical tinge.

Modern meaning of phraseology

The original meaning of this word is still embodied from time to time by some modern musicians, such as, for example, However, in most cases, these words acquired a pronounced sarcastic meaning: “Maybe I’ll sing your praises some more?” This phraseology has come to mean excessive and inappropriate praise, undisguised flattery. In a sense, this is understandable, because this literary and musical genre was intended for the ecstatic praise of the gods. And when him, with light hand era of the Renaissance, began to be used to praise politicians and those in power in general, then it easily became something unpleasantly pretentious and far-fetched. After all, Scripture also says that one should give one thing to God, and another to “Caesar.” And when politicians, stars and various elites sing the praises due to heavenly creatures, isn’t this outright overkill? Or maybe even blasphemy. Therefore, most people do not perceive praises or despise them as outright flattery. Moreover, as a rule, it is used in order to please to the right person and get your share of the benefits.

You can praise a person sincerely, or you can mean it as mockery. In our area of ​​attention is the meaning of the phraseological unit “sing praises”. We will not ignore the history, tone, and context of use.

Origin

The ancient Greeks had a god - Dionysus (in Ancient Rome he was called Bacchus). He was in charge of the wines, but not sales, but growth, development, harvest. Dionysus was also associated among the Greeks with the ancient chthonic force, symbolizing everything dark, terrible and unbridled in human nature.

Dithyrambs are songs of praise in honor of Dionysus. People sang them at special holidays in honor of the god of wine, after paying tribute to the product itself.

Accordingly, the meaning of the phraseological unit “sing praises” is to lavish praise. The question immediately arises: is encouraging a person in this case fair or not? More on this later.

Tonality of expression

Usually this is how they talk about insincere, false praise. Such assessments of human behavior are given when they want to break the distance and penetrate the circle of trust. It is difficult to say why dithyrambs (songs of praise) suddenly began to be perceived this way. Maybe it’s because people only say good things when they’re drunk on wine, and without “doping” you can’t hear a kind word from them...

But sometimes they praise not only because they have selfish goals, but also simply to support a person. Let's look at two examples that will reveal how traditional meaning the phraseological unit “sing praises” is not entirely classical.

Boss and subordinate

They say the rich have their own quirks. But the same can be said about bosses. Imagine a situation: the head of an enterprise paints pictures, and one of the employees wants to make a career. And he rightly thinks that if the boss is cajoled with compliments, then the path to the top will open for him.

So, he enters the office and sees another creation of the boss. Having collected a fairly modest knowledge of painting, the subordinate begins to broadcast:

Sergei Mikhailovich, what a wonderful palette, what a brushstroke. What a unique way of writing. Did you study somewhere?

Come on, Artem Lvovich, I’m an amateur.

No, you are not an amateur, you are a prodigy!

Okay, enough of the compliments. What did you come with?

Then they solve production problems. And Artem Lvovich, leaving the office, grins: “And his picture is a daub of daubs.”

Imperfect guitar playing and a grateful listener

Another graduation concert in music school. The children are worried, their hands are shaking. In other words, everything is as usual in this situation. A boy comes on stage and plays the guitar. He plays well, but sometimes confuses notes and frets. The torture ends and the audience applauds. The child goes into the hall, where his mother meets him. And she tells him:

Everything was great, son! Just great!

I think you're exaggerating.

Well, there were some mistakes, but they didn't spoil general impression from the game.

Okay, Mom, I know you're singing my praises, but thanks for the support.

As you can see from the example of the analyzed expression, phraseological units and their meanings can change. And it depends not only on the situation, but also on time. In Ancient Greece, this phrase had good connotations, but now the speaker is free to vary the semantic content of the saying.

Is it good or bad to praise unfairly?

It's difficult to answer definitively. If it comes to supporting a person, then there is nothing wrong with praising him. Moreover, such an act even speaks of some responsiveness of the heart. Another thing is when a person lavishes compliments in order to achieve a certain goal, his behavior does not look very attractive, especially if the addressee understands that the assessment of his activities is insincere and feigned.

Either way, the reader now has an idea of ​​what “singing praises” means and can decide for themselves when and who to celebrate, and whether it’s worth it.

Very unusual word"dithyramb" has Ancient Greek origin. Translated from Greek, dithyramb means a genre of solemn song. Usually, such songs were performed by a choir, and the ditheramb itself took the form of a hymn. Ditherambs were sung mainly by satyrs special holiday regarding the grape harvest ancient Greek god nature and wine to Dionysus. If you and I open S.I. Ozhegov’s dictionary, we will see there two meanings of this word. The first of them will mean a song genre already familiar to us, and the second meaning will be exaggerated, enthusiastic praise. This is what we will look at in more detail.

So who are they singing their praises to?

They sing praises to those they want to flatter. Most songs of praise are performed for a purpose. Fulfilling a dithyramb necessarily implies receiving something in return, some kind of benefit.

They can sing praises to their superiors. This is done with the aim of increasing salaries, receiving bonuses, and promotions. Affectionate, praiseworthy words spoken by a subordinate will always warm the soul of even the strictest boss. They make his heart melt like ice cream in the sun, and the smile on his face begins to shine joyfully.

Children also sing praises to their parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles. When a child wants to get something, he praises his older relatives. “Oh, grandma, how young you are!” the little girl shouts enthusiastically, causing admiration among passers-by. But then he adds another phrase to the words spoken: “Buy me that doll.” This is a typical example of a dithyramb, only in this case the girl revealed her true intentions. Adults, unlike children, usually hide their true intentions.

Students also sing praises to their teachers. Teachers, lecturers, trainers. Such “songs” are sung in order to gain their sympathy, to earn their favor. What does this give? Increased grades in exams, lack of quibbles over little things, participation in necessary competitions, sometimes victory in competitions. In no case should a dithyramb be considered a guarantee of winning the competition; this is not the case. Praises are the beginning of the path to a protégé.

Praises help to achieve the necessary connections. By saying a pleasant compliment to the secretary, you can not only get to to CEO“out of turn”, but also good for promoting your business. By establishing relationships with individuals who work with the organization’s external clients, you can build your good network service connections. In this case, it is completely unimportant to be present in person at the desired organization. You can also sing praises over the phone.

To do this, select the necessary “notes” of affectionate, pleasant words, which are carefully inserted into the to the right place V telephone conversation. For example, “You are a sorceress! Fairy! I knew you could do it! You can do anything!” These are words of gratitude for the service, in the hope of further assistance in the near future. After magic words and a further desire is voiced, such as “We will definitely sign our agreement tomorrow, I hope. We have everything in our power.” etc.