swan-song的词源

英文词源

swan (n.)

Old English swan "swan," from Proto-Germanic *swanaz "singer" (cognates: Old Saxon swan, Old Norse svanr, Danish svane, Swedish svan, Middle Dutch swane, Dutch zwaan, Old High German swan, German Schwan), probably literally "the singing bird," from PIE root *swen- "to sing, make sound" (see sound (n.1)); thus related to Old English geswin "melody, song" and swinsian "to make melody."

In classical mythology, sacred to Apollo and to Venus. The singing of swans before death was alluded to by Chaucer (late 14c.), but swan-song (1831) is a translation of German Schwanengesang. The ancient Indo-European mythical swan-maiden so called by mythographers from 1829. Swan pe is recorded from 1898. A black swan was proverbial for "something extremely rare or non-existent" (late 14c.), after Juvenal ["Sat." vi. 164], but later they turned up in Australia (Chenopsis atratus).

"Do you say no worthy wife is to be found among all these crowds?" Well, let her be handsome, charming, rich and fertile; let her have ancient ancestors ranged about her halls; let her be more chaste than all the dishevelled Sabine maidens who stopped the war--a prodigy as rare upon the earth as a black swan! yet who could endure a wife that possessed all perfections? I would rather have a Venusian wench for my wife than you, O Cornelia, mother of the Gracchi, if, with all your virtues, you bring me a haughty brow, and reckon up Triumphs as part of your marriage portion. [Juvenal]

中文词源

swan-song：（诗人、画家等的）最后作品；告别演出

据西方的古老传说，天鹅平素不唱歌，只在临死前引颈长鸣，歌声哀婉动听。swan song指的就是“天鹅之绝唱”。古希腊神话中天鹅是侍奉阿波罗（Apollo）的神鸟，阿波罗既是太阳神、光明之神，也是音乐之神、诗歌之神，所以天鹅常被喻指才华横溢的的诗人或杰出的歌手等，据此swan song转义为“诗人、音乐家、画家等的最后一部作品或言行等”或“告别演出”。

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