callow的词源

英文词源

callow

callow: [OE] Old English calu meant ‘bald’. Eventually, the word came to be applied to young birds which as yet had no feathers, and by the late 16th century it had been extended metaphorically to any young inexperienced person or creature. It probably came, via West Germanic *kalwaz, from Latin calvus ‘bald’.
=> calvary

callow (adj.)

Old English calu "bare, bald," from Proto-Germanic *kalwa- (cognates: Middle Dutch calu, Dutch kaal, Old High German kalo, German Kahl), from PIE root *gal- (1) "bald, naked" (cognates: Russian golyi "smooth, bald"). From young birds with no feathers, meaning extended to any young inexperienced thing or creature (1570s). Apparently not related to Latin calvus "bald."

中文词源

callow：未生羽毛的

发音释义：['kæləʊ] adj.未生羽毛的；未成熟的；年轻而无经验的

词源解释：callow←古英语calu（秃的）←原始日耳曼语kalwa←原始印欧语词根gal（秃的、裸露的）

词组习语：a callow youth（乳臭未干的毛头小子）

助记窍门：callow = cal（caliber，水准、能力）+low（低）→能力低下的→不成熟的。或callow = call（称呼）+low（低）→被人称呼为低下的→不成熟的

该词的英语词源请访问趣词词源英文版：callow 词源，callow 含义。

callow：幼稚的

来自PIE *gal, 秃头，参照Calvinism, chauvinism, 进一步来自PIE*ghel, 发光的，词源同glass, gleam。指刚出生的，没长毛的。