knave的词源

英文词源

knave (n.)

Old English cnafa "boy, male servant," common Germanic (cognates: Old High German knabo "boy, youth, servant," German knabe "boy, lad," also probably related to Old English cnapa "boy, youth, servant," Old Norse knapi "servant boy," Dutch knaap "a youth, servant," Middle High German knappe "a young squire," German Knappe "squire, shield-bearer"). The original meaning might have been "stick, piece of wood" [Klein]. Sense of "rogue, rascal" first recorded c. 1200. In playing cards, "the jack," 1560s.

中文词源

knave（无赖）：偷奸耍滑的年轻男仆

英语单词knave一般用来表示“无赖、流氓”，但它的本意指的却是“年轻男仆”。对人的出身的偏见，无论中外都概莫能免。西方中世纪的贵族总会对家中的年轻男仆抱有一种偏见，认为他们擅长偷奸耍滑，撒谎成性。因此，本来是表示一种身份的单词knave就不可避免地掺杂了这样的偏见，以至于到了最后，人们都忘记了knave的初始含义，而将其掺杂的偏见、其隐含意味当做了它的主体词义。

knave： [neɪv] n.无赖，流氓，撒谎成性的人；扑克牌中的Jack。

该词的英语词源请访问趣词词源英文版：knave 词源，knave 含义。

knave：无赖，恶棍，梅花杰克

来自古英语cnafa,小伙，仆人，来自Proto-Germanic*knabo,小伙，年青人，来自PIE*gnebh,压，压紧，来自*gen的扩大形式，压，弯，捏，成团，词源同knob,knead.其原义可能为一块木头，圆棍，年青人或培训期的骑士所持有的武器，而乡绅或贵族通常持刀剑。参照bachelor,年青人，词源同bacillus,杆菌。