| 释义 |
demotic, a.|diːˈmɒtɪk|
[ad. Gr. δηµοτικ-ός popular, plebeian, common, democratic, f. δηµότης one of the people (the deme).]
1. a. Of or belonging to the people: spec. the distinctive epithet of the popular form of the ancient Egyptian written character (as distinguished from the hieratic, of which it was a simplification): called also enchorial. Also absol. = The demotic character or script.
1822Q. Rev. XXVIII. 189 To prove, that neither the hieratic or sacerdotal, nor the demotic or vulgar, writing is alphabetic. 1880Sayce in Nature XXI. 380 The only change undergone by Egyptian writing was the invention of a running-hand, which in its earlier and simpler form is called hieratic, and in its later form demotic.
b. Of or belonging to the popular written or spoken form of modern Greek. Also as n.
1927H. Nicolson Some People iii. 76 And from the bridge the second officer Shouts demotic to the Company's agent. Ibid. vii. 172 He slowly approached Essad Pasha and addressed him in demotic Greek. 1946R. Capell Simiomata ii. 53 There are the moderate advocates of Demotic, and the advanced who are all for dropping more and more inflections. 1964Language XL. 274 Here we encounter katharevusa clusters..which vary with normal demotic. 1964J. T. Pring in D. Abercrombie et al. Daniel Jones 357 Now it is the partisans of demotic who are to the fore; and demotic has become the language of primary education.
2. In general sense: Of, pertaining or proper to, the common people; popular, vulgar. Also as n.
1831Syd. Smith Wks. (1859) II. 220/1 Demotic habits will be more common in a country where the rich are forced to court the poor for political power. 1872O. W. Holmes Poet Breakf.-t. viii. (1885) 189 The one..does what in demotic phrase is called the ‘sarsing’. 1881Times 26 Apr. 4/1 There is nothing in the position that the demotic mind can apprehend. 1922T. S. Eliot Waste Land 212 Mr Eugenides, the Smyrna merchant..Asked me in demotic French To luncheon at the Cannon Street Hotel. 1958Times Lit. Suppl. 17 Jan. 30/3 Mr Amis's attitudes as a writer are not so demotic as his choice of terms seems to pretend. There is a suggestion of linguistic slumming, tweedy slanginess. 1961Listener 30 Mar. 573/3 In fact advertising has, of necessity, to use simple, forceful, easily understandable words—‘demotic’ language, as Mr Whitehead might call it. 1967R. Mabey Class 110 Not only did ITV develop the popular touch—it nurtured those diverse speech tones and accents which belonged naturally to the more demotic channel. 1968A. Cowan Fortunately in England 162 An occasional class of boys would do their best to add a gaiety of their own by singing unusual and demotic versions of such songs as Men of Harlech. 1969R. Heppenstall Portrait of Artist as Professional Man 101 To a north countryman of demotic antecedents like myself, Louis's background, manner and social attitudes were characteristically southern English upper-middle class. 1970C. P. Snow Last Things 7 At that stage, he had a knack of speaking what he thought of as American demotic. |