clue的词源
英文词源
- clue
- clue: [15] Clue is a variant spelling of the now obsolete clew ‘ball of thread’, and its current application to ‘that which helps to solve a problem’, which originated in the early 17th century, is based on the notion of using (like Theseus in the Minotaur’s labyrinth) a ball of thread to show one the way out of an intricate maze one has entered. Clew itself goes back to Old English cliwan or cleowan, which may be related to claw.
=> claw - clue (n.)
- 1590s, spelling variant of clew "a ball of thread or yarn," in this sense with reference to the one Theseus used as a guide out of the Labyrinth. The purely figurative sense of "that which points the way" is from 1620s. As something which a bewildered person does not have, by 1948.
- clue (v.)
- "to inform someone of the important facts," usually with in, 1934, from clue (n.). Related: Clued; cluing. Earlier in now-obsolete sense of "follow or track by clues" (1660s). In nautical use, "to haul up (a sail) by means of the clue-lines," from clue (n.) in the "wound ball of yarn" sense.
中文词源
clue（线索）：引导忒修斯逃离迷宫的线团
克里特国王米诺斯的儿子被雅典人杀害。米诺斯替儿子报仇，打败了雅典人，强迫他们每 年给公牛怪米诺陶洛斯进贡七对童男童女。雅典国王埃勾斯（Aegeus）的儿子、英雄忒修斯（Theseus）为了替民除害，自愿作为贡品前往克里特岛。 克里特国王的女儿阿里阿德涅（Ariadne）公主爱上了忒修斯，送给他一把利剑和一个线团。忒修斯进入迷宫，手持利剑杀死了公牛怪，然后顺着线团原路返 回，顺利逃离迷宫。
英语单词clue的来源就与这个故事有关。clue在古英语中拼作clew，原意是“线团”。因为忒修斯是凭借线团逃出迷宫的，所以线团成了他破解迷宫的线索。由此，单词clue就从“线团”引申出“线索”的含义。
clue：[kluː]n.线索，情节
该词的英语词源请访问趣词词源英文版：clue 词源，clue 含义。
clue源出古希腊的一个传说。
克里特（Crete）王弥诺斯(Minos)强迫雅典人每年供献童男童女各七人给牛头人身的怪物弥诺陶洛斯（Minotaur）吞食。希腊英雄雅典王子提修斯( Theseus)从异乡回国后获知此事即自告奋勇前去克里特岛除妖。怪物是克里特王之妻和一头白毛公牛所生，被饲养在克里特的迷官深处，专食人肉。迷宫里的通道迂回交错，曲折相通，一进去就很难走出来。克里特公主阿里阿德捏（Ariadne）爱上了提修斯，怕他陷在迷宫，给了他一个小线团。提修斯杀了怪物后，靠了线团引路才得以逃离迷宫。此一线团紊被称作阿里阿德涅线团，在中古英语中作clew，clue 一词即源于此。clue现多用来喻指“线索”，有时亦拼作clew。
来自clew 的拼写变体，来自PIE*glei,黏，聚集成块，词源同clay,cling.原指球团，线团。线 索词义来自古希腊神话英雄Theseus 在迷宫中杀为非做歹的神牛的故事，因迷宫难行，克里 特公主给了Theseus 一个线团，以便他完成使命后原路返回，因此该词就有了线索之义。
