Mysteries of vernacular: Lady - Jessica Oreck and Rachael Teel

俗语的奥秘: "Lady" - Jessica Oreck与Rachael Teel

翻译人员: Shinemoos Gong 校对人员: Bighead Ge

Mysteries of vernacular:

俗语的奥秘

Lady,

"女士"

woman.

"女人"

Lady is tied to a number of words

"女士"这个词跟好几个

that seem at first glance

乍一看与其语源毫无关系的词语

etymologically unrelated.

相关

She traces her roots back

她的本源

to the Old English words hlaf,

要追溯到古英文的"hlaf"一词

which referred to a loaf of bread

也就是指"一条面包"

and is the direct ancestor of our modern word loaf,

该词还演化成现代英语中"loaf"一条面包

and daege,

和"daege"一词

which meant maid

后者意为"女仆"

and is the root of our word dairy,

即为"dairy"一词的根源

the place where the dairymaid works.

也就是挤奶女仆工作的地方

Together, hlaf and daege became hlafdige,

"hlaf"和"daege"合并成为"hlafdige"

literally loaf maid,

字面意义为面包女仆

or, more figuratively, kneader of bread.

而象征性地讲，就是女面包师

As early as the ninth century,

早在9世纪

hlafdige was the name for a mistress of servants,

"hlafdige"就是女管家

or the female head of the household.

或者是家中女主人的称呼

The Old English word for a male head of household

古英语中表达"家中男主人"的词

was hlafweard,

是"hlafweard"

a compound of hlaf, loaf,

由"hlaf"，即"loaf"

and weard,

和"weard"

which meant keeper

即"管理者"组成

and is the word of modern words

它是现代词语

like ward and warden.

如"ward"——监护 和"warden"——监管人的根源

Both hlafweard, the breadwinner,

"hlafweard"——挣面包钱的人

and hlafdige, the bread kneader,

和"hlafdige"——做面包的人

came to be titles of respect,

两词成为了表尊称的头衔

referring to citizens of higher social standing.

指代有着较高社会地位的市民

Through a process known as syncopation,

后又经过(语言学上的)中音省去

both words lost their internal sounds

两词都省去了中间的一些音节

to become lord and lady, respectively.

而成为了"Lord"——大人 和"Lady"——夫人

Though still an expression of courtesy,

虽然仍是有礼貌的称谓

lady has since moved

"lady"一词已经从

down the ladder of social standing

社会地位的阶梯上走下

and is now often used

而现在通常

to mean simply a woman.

仅仅代指"女性"