| 释义 |
‖ terræ filius|ˈtɛriː ˈfɪlɪəs|
Pl. terræ filii.
[L. terræ fīlius, a son of the earth, a man of unknown origin.]
1. A person of obscure parentage.
[c1590Greene Fr. Bacon ix. 51 Those geomantic spirits, That Hermes calleth terræ filii.] 1621Burton Anat. Mel. ii. iii. ii. (1676) 199/2 Let no terræ filius, or upstart, insult at this which I have said, no worthy Gentleman take offence. 1622Mabbe tr. Aleman's Guzman d'Alf. i. iii. i. 186 As if my father had beene terræ filius. 1679Nesse Antichrist 7 This is the Terræfilius, the base-born beast that springs out of the earth. 1883Sat. Rev. 2 June 688/2 Abdel-Kader himself was very far from being terræ filius.
2. Formerly, at the University of Oxford: An orator privileged to make humorous and satirical strictures in a speech at the public ‘act’. (In quot. 1882, applied to a similar orator at Dublin University.) Cf. prevaricator 4.
1651–93Wood Life [passim: see ed. Clark (1900) V. 151/2]. 1656Blount Glossogr., Terræ-filius..the foole in the Acts at Oxford. 1674Ibid. (ed. 4), Terræ-filius,..we may call him the bon drol in the Acts at Oxford..who must be a Master of Arts, to qualifie him for this Office, and is commonly chosen out of the best Wits of the University. 1669Evelyn Diary 10 July, The Terræ filius (the Universitie Buffoone) entertain'd the auditorie with a..sarcastical rhapsodie. 1670Eachard Cont. Clergy 37 Wits..who never..were at all inspir'd from a Tripus's, Terræ-filius's, or Prævarecator's speech. 1713Steele Guard. No. 72 ⁋2 In my time..the Terræ-filius contented himself with being bitter upon the Pope, or chastising the Turk. 1721Amherst Terræ Fil. Ded., It is very uncertain when Terræ-Filius will be able to regain his antient privileges in the Sheldonian theatre. Ibid. No. 5. 23 All men are not Terræ-Filius's. 1882Q. Rev. Apr. 389 A scurrilous harangue..for the delivery of which, in the character of Terræ Filius, one of his [Swift's] College acquaintances narrowly escaped expulsion. |