sleazy的词源

英文词源

sleazy (adj.)

1640s, "downy, fuzzy," later "flimsy, unsubstantial" (1660s), of unknown origin; one theory is that it is a corruption of Silesia, the German region, where thin linen or cotton fabric was made for export. Silesia in reference to cloth is attested in English from 1670s; and sleazy as an abbreviated form is attested from 1670), but OED is against this. Sense of "sordid" is from 1941. Related: Sleazily; sleaziness.

A day is a more magnificent cloth than any muslin, the mechanism that makes it is infinitely cunninger, and you shall not conceal the sleazy, fraudulent, rotten hours you have slipped into the piece, nor fear that any honest thread, or straighter steel, or more inflexible shaft, will not testify in the web. [Emerson, "The Conduct of Life," 1860]

中文词源

sleazy（破烂的、令人厌恶的）：经常被仿冒的西里西亚布料

西里西亚（Silesia）是古代中欧的一个地区，在现在的德国、波兰和捷克三国的接壤处。中世纪时，西里西亚的纺织业非常发达，所出产的纺织品闻名遐迩。因此，很多人冒充西里西亚所产布料的商品出现在市场上。这种假冒行为越来越猖獗，以至于“西里西亚”一词反而成了伪劣产品的代名词。英语单词sleazy就由西里西亚的名字Silesia变化而来，原本表示“西里西亚的”，后来随着冒充西里西亚布料的伪劣产品越来越多，sleazy也就衍生出“廉价的、质地薄的”之意，后来又继续衍生出“低俗的、肮脏的、破烂的”的贬义含义。

sleazy：['slizi] adj.质地薄的，廉价的，低俗的，肮脏的，破烂的

该词的英语词源请访问找单词词源英文版：sleazy 词源，sleazy 含义。

sleazy：污秽的，肮脏的，道德败坏的

来自辅音丛 sl-,黏滑的，淤泥的，泥浆的，比较 slop,slosh,slough,sludge.引申词义脏肮的，污 秽的等。