Mysteries of vernacular: Keister - Jessica Oreck and Rachael Teel

字源探秘：Keister - Jessica Oreck 與 Rachael Teel

譯者: Geoff Chen 審譯者: Hao-Wei Chang

Mysteries of vernacular:

字源探秘：

Keister,

Keister

a person's buttocks.

意指人的臀部

Though the modern meaning of keister

雖然 keister 的現代詞義

refers somewhat indecorously

是用來在某人背後

to a person's behind,

形容其舉止隨便

the word's history does not begin with the rear end.

這詞的歷史卻不是發源於臀部

Instead, it can be traced back

相反地，它可以追溯到

to the Proto-Indo-European kista,

原始印歐語系中的 kista

which described a woven container.

意思是織造的容器

Kista influenced the creation of words

Kista 影響了這詞的創生

like the Greek kiste,

就像希臘文的 kiste

meaning basket or box,

意思是籃或框

and later, the Latin cista,

接著，它在拉丁文中演變為 cista

which meant box or chest.

意指箱子或盒子

In proto-Germanic, a sturdy, box-like container

在原始日耳曼語中，kista 用來描述

was described by the word kista,

一個堅固的、類似箱子的容器

which eventually gave us chest in English.

最終形成了 我們英語中的盒子之意

For every locked chest,

每個被鎖住的盒子

there is both a key and a lock pick,

都有鑰匙和鎖

and the history of keister

keister 的歷史

draws us into this world of petty crime

便引領我們進入了

and speculative etymology.

投機與輕微犯罪的用語世界

Keister may have come from the British dialect kist,

Keister 有可能來自英國方言 kist

which was the northern form of chest.

這是盒子的北方用語

In the underworld jargon of the late 1800s,

在 19 世紀晚期的地下術語中

it referred to a burgler's tool kit that can be locked,

它用來指一種竊賊所用 的帶鎖工具箱

and by the early 20th century,

到了 20 世紀初

it meant safe or strong box.

它意指一個安全或強固的盒子

Numerous theories about keister's connection

許多關於 keister 這個字義的理論

to the buttocks abound,

都把它關聯到臀部

one being, that is courtesy of the slang sense,

其中一個和俚語有關

used by pick-pockets to describe

扒手用它來描述

the treasure of a rear trouser pocket.

人們後褲口袋裡的寶藏

Unfortunately, what isn't safe in your kist

不幸的是，如果東西 藏在你盒子裡不安全

may not be safe near your keister either.

把它放在你臀部附近 可能也是有點危險吧