The great and powerful Russian language is difficult to master even for those who speak it from birth, to say nothing of those who are just starting to learn it. Any foreign language is not easy to learn. Of great difficulty is not only the technique of speech and writing, but also the expressions with which the Russian-speaking population is so accustomed to express themselves. Usual phrases that we pronounce without thinking often have a deep meaning that is difficult for an unprepared person to understand. We are talking about proverbs and sayings that have come to us from antiquity from our ancestors and transmitted from generation to generation. Folk wisdom is the life experience of people, accumulated over centuries, it helps to make decisions in difficult situations. Intricate phrases can not be understood the first time, sometimes you have to smash your head to understand the meaning of a saying or proverb.
Meaning: “The dog barks - the caravan goes on”
This expression can be interpreted in different ways, it has two meanings, which depend on the punctuation marks placed in the text. In the first case, the saying is divided into two parts of the dash, which means that the parts of the saying are interconnected and completely equivalent. In a conversation you can sometimes hear the phrase: "Dogs bark - the caravan goes." The meaning of this proverb is that dogs barking is a sign that a caravan is approaching. Dogs give a kind of signal to readiness. This is due to the fact that the caravan, moving along the path, often becomes the target for attack by robbers and robbers, and dogs in those days were taken for protection. For this, animals of large breeds trained to defend and attack by order were selected. The louder they growled, the more likely it was that it would scare away wild animals and unwanted guests, and also herald the arrival of goods from other countries.
The saying "Dogs bark, the caravan goes": the second meaning
In the second case, if a comma is placed between the two parts of the proverb, the first will depend on the second. This means that one part is key, while the second is secondary. The two parts of the expression are sequential, unequal and have their own meaning. "The dog barks, the caravan goes" - a saying in which the main part of the "caravan goes", that is, moves toward the goal, despite the fact that "the dogs bark." Dogs in this interpretation of the proverb symbolize rumors, gossip, evil tongues and abuse, which try to obstruct the matter by scolding him. A marching caravan is a matter, achieving a goal, a path to a positive outcome. However, do not forget that the barking of a dog is just an empty phrase, the result of the envy of ill-wishers, which you just need to ignore.
Proverb story
The roots of this saying originate from antiquity, then its meaning was formed. "The dog barks, the caravan goes" - a proverb modified, different from the initial version, but nevertheless having its own separate meaning. The first analogue of this phrase can be considered "The dog barks, the wind wears." The meaning of the saying is that empty rumors are quickly spreading, like the wind, about gossip will soon be known in all places. This saying can still be heard in the countries of the East. In the form in which the proverb came to us, the caravan was not initially mentioned, it was mistakenly brought there by General A. Lebed, when instead of the phrase “the wind carries”, he said “the caravan is coming”. And so the proverb was born: "Dogs bark, the caravan goes." The meaning of this proverb is also traced in history.
Symbolism in a proverb
Firstly, the proverbs often mentioned dogs, implying squabble people who were prone to empty cries and gossip. Secondly, dogs, on the other hand, were home defenders, loyal friends and reliable guards. In Asia, the caravan has always been a symbol of stability and order, and in Russia it was quite famous. The emblem of Chelyabinsk shows a camel, although camels have never been found in the area where the city stands. Caravans carrying goods more than once passed through those places. This folk wisdom was used by the famous writer Krylov in the fable "Passers-by and Dogs". Here is a quote from this fable: “Envious people, whatever they look at, will raise forever barking; And you yourself go on your own way: let them fly and leave them behind."
Varieties of Proverbs
There are other proverbs among the people that are closely related in meaning to the proverb “The dog barks, the caravan goes.” What this phrase means is impossible to answer clearly, but you can get closer to the meaning, relying on other similar sayings. It is close in meaning and complements "The pig is dead, and the grunts are all heard." Here, a pig symbolizes an evil person who says bad things and does wrong, and grunts are those bad consequences that remain even after a person dies in memory and in people's lives. A modern interpretation of the saying is also “Dogs bark - the Internet carries.” In this case, the proverb is a bit modernized, because nowadays it is quite common when people communicate with each other not live, but over the Web. There is also another version of the proverb “A dog barks - the wind carries, but the caravan goes on”, it combines the old and new versions into one.
