| 释义 |
Karen, n. and a.|kəˈrɛn|
Also † Carayner, Carian(er), Carianner.
[f. Burmese ka-reng wild, dirty, low-caste man.]
A. n.
1. One of a group of non-Burmese Mongoloid peoples scattered throughout Burma, esp. to the east; a member of one of these peoples.
c1759in A. Dalrymple Oriental Repertory (1793) I. 100 This Country contains two Nations, the Bûraghmahns, and Peguers... There is another People in this Country called Carianners, whiter than either. 1800M. Symes Acct. Embassy to Kingdom of Ava vi. 207 Carayners, or Carianers..inhabit different parts of the country. 1833W. Tandy tr. Sangermano's Descr. Burmese Empire vi. 34 The Carian, a good and peaceable people. 1833Bennett Let. 11 Nov. in F. Mason Karen Apostle (1847) v. 45 Four of the Karens were yesterday baptized. 1885[see crow-flight s.v. crow n.1 11]. 1910Jrnl. R. Soc. Arts LVIII. 701/2 The Karen undoubtedly had his original home in China. 1922W. G. White Sea Gypsies of Malaya i. 18 Upon the ‘backbones’ of Burma live the Karens... The Karens are..monolatrists, if not monotheists. 1937R. H. Lowie Hist. Ethnological Theory (1938) vii. 84 He [sc. Tylor] definitely ascribes the latter view only to Algonkians, Fijians, and Karens. 1962[see Chin n.2]. 1965B. Sweet-Escott Baker St. Irreg. viii. 236 Hitherto we had been compelled to discourage widespread guerrilla activity among the loyal tribes such as the Karens. 1972Nat. Geographic Feb. 270/1, I knew that a handful of Karens had moved into these hills about 125 years ago and now far outnumbered the native Lua.
2. The language of this people.
1861J. Wade Karen Vernacular Gram. p. iii, Without this knowledge no one can determine, with confidence, what is good..Karen, and what is mere colloquial jargon. 1871C. M. Yonge Pioneers & Founders vi. 161 She tried to learn Karen, but never had time, and..she could always have an interpreter. 1887D. M. Smeaton Loyal Karens Burma ii. 73 Reduplication of words in Karen conveys an adverbial signification. 1961Dental Practitioner XI. 369/1 Indeed, ‘PAT’ has now been programmed to produce phrases in English, Swedish, Polish, and Karen (a language of Burma). 1970M. Pereira Pigeon's Blood vii. 81, I can speak ten dialects of Chinese, but not a word of Karen or Shan.
B. adj. Of or relating to the Karens or their language.
1839[see fine-tooth a.]. 1885A. R. Colquhoun Burma & Burmans i. 11 The White Karen chief of Western Karennee. 1887D. M. Smeaton Loyal Karens Burma ii. 73 The Karen language is monosyllabic. 1892W. R. Winston Four Yrs. Upper Burma x. 99, I have..listened in Upper Burma to..glees, choruses and solos, rendered by Karen young men and maidens. 1948D. Diringer Alphabet vii. 412 The Karen character is a modern adaptation of the Burmese script to the Karen tongue. 1959Listener 30 Apr. 746/1 The Karen rebels. 1972Nat. Geographic Feb. 270/1 We found our Karen neighbors bore their troubles in a cheery, resilient, and generally relaxed way. |