| 释义 |
▪ I. harper1|ˈhɑːpə(r)|
Forms: 1 harperi, hearpere, herpere, herperi, 3 harpare, 4–5 -or, -our, 5 -owre, -ure, herper, 6 harpar, 4– harper.
[OE. hearpere = MHG. harpfære, ON. harpari:—OTeut. type *harparjo-z, f. harpôn- harp n.1: see -er1. ME. had also the AFr. form harpour = F. harpeur, OF. harpeor, late L. harpātōr-em.]
1. a. One who harps or plays upon a harp.
a800Leiden Gloss. 147 in Sweet O.E. Texts 115 Fidicen, harperi. c888K. ælfred Boeth. xxx. §6 Ðæs hearperes wif. 1297R. Glouc. (1724) 272 Menestral he was gode ynou, & harpare in eche poynte. 13..E.E. Allit. P. A. 880 As harporez harpen in her harpe, Þat nwe songe þay songen ful cler. 1413Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton 1483) v. viii. 99 The poete Orpheus was so swete an harpoure that the trees folowed him. 1483Cath. Angl. 176/2 An Harper, citharedo. 1580Nottingham Rec. IV. 194 Gevyn to the blynde harpar xijd. 1662T. Crossman Hymn, ‘Jerusalem on high’, The Harpers..Harping on harps of gold. 1767Percy Ess. Anc. Eng. Minstrels 7 Much greater honours seem to have been heaped upon the northern scalds..than appear to have been paid to the minstrels and harpers of the Anglo-Saxons. 1846Grote Greece i. vii. (1862) II. 189 The Lesbian harper Terpander. 1883Vigfusson & Powell Corpus Poeticum Boreale p. lv, In England an innovation appears, the harper who sits at the king's feet. 1912W. M. Dixon Eng. Epic & Heroic Poetry 61 The braggart, the coward, the bard or harper, cunning with the glee-wood..all are there.
b. Phr. have at (among) you, harpers: see quot. 1785.
1542J. Heywood Prov. (1867) 65 Haue among you blynd harpers (sayde I) The mo the merier. a1625Fletcher Mad Lover i. ii, He has a battalia now in's brains. He draws out; now Have at ye, Harpers! 1641M. Parker (title) The Poet's Blind Man's Bough; or have among you, my Blind Harpers. 1785Grose Dict. Vulg. Tongue s.v. Harp, Have among you, my blind harpers; an expression used in throwing or shooting at random among a crowd.
†2. Applied to various Irish coins current in the 16th and 17th c., bearing the figure of a harp; esp. the harp shillings, worth 9d. of English money. Obs. exc. Hist.
1598E. Guilpin Skial. (1878) 40 Art thou yet to learne A harper from a shilling to discerne? 1607Heywood Fayre Mayde Wks. 1874 II. 26 Your shilling prov'd but a harper. 1726–31Tindal Rapin's Hist. Eng. xvii. (1743) II. 157 Elizabeth coined also Irish Money, namely, shillings called Harpers. 1839W. J. Thoms Anecd. & Trad. 54.
3. The harp-seal (Cent. Dict.).
▪ II. harper2
(also harpier), app. error for harpy.
1586Marlowe 1st Pt. Tamburl. ii. vii, Now doth ghastly Death With greedy talents gripe my bleeding heart, And like a harpy [so 8vo; Qo. harper] tires upon my life. 1605Shakes. Macb. iv. i. 3 Harpier cries, 'tis time, 'tis time. |