| 释义 |
† paiocke
[Known only in the passage cited. It has been variously viewed by editors as a misprint for pacocke, pecocke, or other obs. form of peacock, or as some dialect form of that word, or as being the older spelling (with i for j) of pajock, for an alleged northern Sc. pea-jock = peacock. Various other conjectures have been offered.
The spelling peacock or peacocke is found in the First Folio in the 5 other places where the word occurs, and there seems no reason why Hamlet should here use a stray dialect word. The context suggests that Hamlet was going to say ‘A very, very Ass’, but checked himself at the last word and substituted this.]
1602Shakes. Ham. iii. ii. 295 Ham. For thou dost know: Oh Damon deere, This Realme dismantled was of Ioue himselfe, And now reignes heere, A verie verie Paiocke. Hora. You might haue Rim'd. [Pope reads: For thou dost know, O Damon dear, This realm dismantled was Of Jove himself; and now reigns here A very very—peacock.] [Hence1899Blackw. Mag. Feb. 354/1 We think of Beau Brummell rather as a ‘very, very pajock’ than a man of bones and sinews.] |