bully的词源

英文词源

bully

bully: [16] Bullies have undergone a sad decline in status. In the 16th century the word meant ‘sweetheart’: ‘Though she be somewhat old, it is my own sweet bully’, John Bale, Three laws 1538. But gradually the rot set in, its meaning passing through ‘fine fellow’ to ‘blusterer’ to the present-day harasser of inferiors. In the 18th and 19th centuries it also meant ‘pimp’.

It is probably a modification of Dutch boele ‘lover’ which, as a term of endearment, may have originated as baby-talk. This bully has no connection with the bully of bully beef [18], which comes from French bouilli, the past participle of bouillir ‘boil’. The bully of bully off [19], a now discontinued way of starting play in hockey, appears to come from a term for ‘scrummage’ in Eton football, but whether that is related to the cruel bully is not clear.

bully (n.)

1530s, originally "sweetheart," applied to either sex, from Dutch boel "lover; brother," probably a diminutive of Middle Dutch broeder "brother" (compare Middle High German buole "brother," source of German Buhle "lover;" see brother (n.)).

Meaning deteriorated 17c. through "fine fellow" and "blusterer" to "harasser of the weak" (1680s, from bully-ruffian, 1650s). Perhaps this was by influence of bull (n.1), but a connecting sense between "lover" and "ruffian" may be in "protector of a prostitute," which was one sense of bully (though not specifically attested until 1706). The expression meaning "worthy, jolly, admirable" (especially in 1864 U.S. slang bully for you!) is first attested 1680s, and preserves an earlier, positive sense of the word.

bully (v.)

1710, from bully (n.). Related: Bullied; bullying.

中文词源

bully（欺凌弱小者）：妓女的情人和保护人

英语单词bully最初的本意是lover（情人），来自荷兰语boel（情人，兄弟），可能是中古荷兰语broeder（兄弟）的指小形式，也就是“小情郎、情哥哥”的意思。后来词义变为“欺凌弱小者”，可能是因为bully一词在历史上常常用来表示妓女的情人及保护人、皮条客。这些男人自然不是什么好货色，往往是一些地痞流氓，喜欢欺凌弱小。因此bully一词才产生了“欺凌弱小者”的含义。但它的初始含义并未完全消失，还可以用来表示“极好的”，如口语bully for you。

bully：['bʊlɪ] n.欺凌弱小者，恶霸，恶棍，拉皮条的人vt.欺压，威吓vi.横行霸道adj.极好的adv.很，十分

bully for you：很好，我赞同你

该词的英语词源请访问趣词词源英文版：bully 词源，bully 含义。

bully：恃强凌弱

发音释义：['bʊlɪ] v.恃强凌弱；欺负n.恃强凌弱者；恶霸；情人adj.adv.一流的，特别好的

词源解释：来自荷兰语boel（情人，兄弟），可能是中古荷兰语broeder（兄弟）的指小形式，意思是“小情郎、情哥哥”。

英语单词bully最初的本意是lover（情人），后来词义变为“欺凌弱小者”，可能是因为bully一词在历史上常常用来表示妓女的情人及保护人、皮条客。这些男人自然不是什么好货色，往往是一些地痞流氓，喜欢欺凌弱小。因此bully一词才产生了“欺凌弱小者”的含义。但它的初始含义并未完全消失，还可以用来表示“极好的”。

词组习语：bully for you（你太好了，你太棒了）；bully sb. into sth.或doing sth.（强迫某人做某事）

助记窍门：bully→bull+y→像公牛那样的→蛮不讲理、霸道→恃强凌弱、恶霸

bully：欺负

来自brother 昵称。原指老大哥，起保护作用，但也可随时以大欺小。