| 释义 |
Soay|ˈsəʊə|
Also Soa.
The name of an island in the Western Isles, used absol. or attrib. to designate a small, brownish, short-tailed sheep, Ovis aries, belonging to a variety once restricted to the island.
1906J. G. Millais Mammals Gt. Brit. III. 210 The history of the Soay sheep is unknown. 1912R. Lydekker Sheep & its Cousins iv. 59 These small and half-wild Soa sheep belong to a group of breeds, or sub-breeds, which are widely distributed over Northern Europe. 1922Nature 6 May 595/1 It will be gathered that the primitive sheep of Europe was of the Soay type. 1949E. Coxhead Wind in West vi. 161 A chap..on a wee island north of Skye who's experimenting with the Soay sheep. 1970Observer 26 Apr. (Colour Suppl.) 35/2 The unusually leggy sheep..is a Soay. 1974R. N. Campbell in P. A. Jewell Island Survivors ii. 28 The Soay sheep..is the most primitive domestic form in Europe. Ibid. 31 The flocks..of Soays on Soay were left behind. 1979Vole Feb. 45/2 The sheep that are used are Soays, small, brown, attractive animals. A few years ago this very ancient breed faced extinction. Today its future is assured. |