| 释义 |
earwign. Origin: Formed within English, by compounding. Etymons: ear n.1, wicga. Etymology: < ear n.1 + Old English wicga insect, beetle, of uncertain origin; compare wig v.1, wiggle v., and see discussion at dog n.1 on the group of animal names with stem-final geminate g to which wicga belongs.Parallels in other languages. The belief that the earwig has a habit of crawling into the human ear, although apparently unfounded, is a long-standing and widespread one. It is recorded in English sources from the Old English period (as e.g. the text cited in quot. eOE at sense 1a) and is reflected in names for the insect in many languages: compare e.g. forms in the Germanic languages cited at earworm n.1, Swedish regional örntvist , Danish ørentvist , both lit. ‘ear two-tail’, post-classical Latin auriculus (8th cent.), aurealis (10th cent.), both glossed with the present word in Latin–Old English glossaries, Middle French orillie (1370–1407), French oreillère (a1188 in Old French as oreilliere ; < oreille ear (see oreille n.) + -iere -ier suffix), French perce-oreille , lit. ‘pierce-ear’ (1564 in Middle French), etc. Notes on forms. With the forms of the second element in Old English compare forms and discussion at pig n.1 Subsequently (from the late Middle English period) attested in a wide range of form types, arising from the development of a connecting vowel (possibly a suffix: perhaps compare -y suffix6) between the constituent elements (see ε. , ζ. , η. , and θ. forms), and from remodelling of the second element (and occasionally also of the first) by association with various other words. The γ. forms (and ultimately the ζ. forms) show remodelling of the second element, perhaps after either wiggle v., formations in -el suffix1 (compare e.g. beetle n.2, weevil n., and forms at those entries), or diminutives in -el suffix2. The δ. forms show an intrusive -r- in the second element, perhaps by association with wrig v.; compare also the η. forms with connecting vowel, which show further remodelling of the second element by association with wriggle v. The form earlywig at ε. forms probably shows -l- by remodelling after early adj., and narrowwriggle at η. forms appears to show metanalysis (compare N n.), although compare narrow adj. Compare also (with a similar range of forms) pollywog n. 1. the world > animals > invertebrates > phylum Arthropoda > class Insecta > subclass Pterygota > [noun] > division Exopterygota or Hemimetabola > order Dermaptera > member of (earwig) eOE (Royal) (1865) i. iii. 44 Wiþ earwicgan genim þæt micle greate windelstreaw.., ceow on þæt eare. He bið of sona. OE (2011) 61 Blatta, earwicga. ?a1400 N. Bozon (Harl. 1288) (1889) 203 (MED) De elephante qui custodit diligenter aures suas a muscis et herewyckys. (Harl. 221) 15 Arwygyll worme, aurealle. c1475 MS Sloane 4 in (1864) 2 July 4/1 Ye blacke flye, ye eruyge, ye old waspys. ?a1500 in A. Way (1843) 143 (note) Auriolus, a ȝerwygge. 1547 W. Salesbury Pryf klustioc, an erwygge. 1601 P. Holland tr. Pliny II. xxviii. iv. 300 If an earewig or such like vermine be gotten into the eare, make no more ado but spit into the same, and it will come forth anone. a1643 W. Cartwright Poems in (1651) sig. R2v I'm afraid 'Tis with one Worm, one Earewick overlaid. 1727 J. Swift Let. to very Young Lady in II. 335 To fall into fits at the sight of a Spider, an Earwig, or a Frog. 1773 G. White 30 Sept. (1970) vi. 71 Earwigs cast their skins & come forth white. a1825 R. Forby (1830) Erriwiggle, an earwig. 1841 T. Hood Tale of Trumpet i, in May 121 No verbal message was worth a pin, Though you hired an earwig to carry it in! 1879 G. F. Jackson at Erriwig Looks like a throttled erriwig. 1915 W. S. Maugham xxxiii. 143 Miss Wilkinson said she was sure there were earwigs and insisted on moving. 1967 T. Lewis & L. R. Taylor iv. 183 Only Forficula auricularia (Common European Earwig)..is likely to be encountered in U.K. In U.S., Euborellia annulipes (Ring-legged Earwig) may be more common. 2005 Aug. 152/2 Earwigs, often considered pests, will eat aphids and the eggs of red spider mites and coddling moths. society > faith > aspects of faith > heresy > [noun] > person 1541 O. Johnson Let. 20 Apr. in (2007) 80 483 He himself shalbe at his lybertie to prove an honnest man hierafter if he can, withoute anny open recanting as thies horesone herewigges wer wonte to do. 1583 J. Foxe (ed. 4) II. 2125/2 He was once at the burning of an herewygge (for so he termed it) at Uxbridge. 1647 J. Trapp (Matt. xiv. 11) 410 His glorying on his deathbed, that he had been the death of 50 herewigs, hereticks he meant. 1993 R. Miles xxxviii. 315 I myself..threw a faggot in the face of one of these earwigs at the stake in Uxbridge. the world > animals > invertebrates > phylum Arthropoda > class Myriapoda > [noun] > order Chilopoda > member of family Lithobiidae 1870 A. S. Packard (ed. 2) 673 Lithobius Americanus..is a widely diffused species, and erroneously passes by the name of Ear-wig. 1938 C. S. Brimley 500 Centipedes... are locally called ‘ear-wigs’ in North Carolina. 1972 H. E. L. Murray (M.A. Thesis, Memorial Univ. Newfoundland.) 115 The beneficial reddish centipede was feared also. It was called an ‘earwig’ or ‘yurwig’. 1975 C. E. Holmes 15 In Newfoundland centipedes are often called ‘earwigs’. the mind > attention and judgement > esteem > approval or sanction > commendation or praise > flattery or flattering > servile flattery or currying favour > [noun] > servile flatterer c1475 (a1449) J. Lydgate Order of Fools (Harl.) in (1840) 171 I be shrewe al suche counsaillours, Can kisse withe Judas and kut a mans purs..Suche false erwygges, suche covert losengeours. 1607 J. Marston ii. sig. C Why thou Pole-head, thou Ianus, thou poultron,..thou Eare-wig that wrigglest into mens braines. 1633 J. Ford ii. i. sig. C3v That gawdy Eare-wrig, or my Lord, your Patron. 1688 in (1860) I. 260 Court earwigs banish from your ears. 1702 tr. P. de la Court iii. v. 457 The Earwigs of that young Prince had perswaded him, that robbing at Sea was the surest, yea the only expedient to bring the Amsterdammers..to his Lure or Devotion. 1758 II. 46 The earwigs of royalty..will not hereafter be suffered to mislead majesty by whispering, etc. 1822 W. Scott II. 31 A pack of mouthers, and flatterers, and ear-wigs. Compounds the world > health and disease > mental health > mental illness > degree or type of mental illness > [noun] > slight madness > crankiness or eccentricity > person 1599 T. Nashe 74 Eight score more galliarde crosse-poynts, and kickshiwinshes, of giddy eare-wig brains. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2015; most recently modified version published online March 2022). earwigv. Origin: Formed within English, by conversion. Etymon: earwig n. Etymology: < earwig n. Compare slightly earlier earwigger n. the mind > language > speech > request > request or ask for [verb (transitive)] > urge or importune 1804 W. Cooke 213 He earwigged Barry..so constantly about the power of a Manager. 1818 Ld. Brougham Let. 25 June in A. Aspinall (1939) 89 Two or three sly characters who go about earwigging the powerful ones for their own purposes. 1838 C. Dickens III. xlv. 186 Suppose he was to do all this..not grabbed, trapped, tried, earwigged by the parson..but of his own fancy. 1839 45 767 Each secretary of state is earwigged by a knot of sturdy beggars. 1919 H. Drummond iv. 40 It is better we should eat together openly than have it said you earwigged me in private. 2010 C. Wilkie xix. 233 Someone from Grady Tollison's law firm had already ‘earwigged’ the judge on behalf of Johnny Jones. 2. British and Irish English. the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > hear [verb (intransitive)] > listen > eavesdrop 1865 10/1 Everything being shut up outside, there was little chance of being observed ‘ear-wigging’. 1966 P. Boyle 93 By this time all hands were earwigging... Conversation had dried up. 1984 19 May 16/3 Since the Tacchini affair I have made a point of earwigging on their conversations. 1993 S. McAughtry xviii. 140 She..asked me if she could speak to me privately, but that only made the others lean forward and earwig more intently. 2011 Y. Edwards viii. 173 I was styling it.., like no way had I been earwigging, just coming down the stairs naturally. the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > hear [verb (transitive)] > listen to > eavesdrop 1974 9 Aug. 6/3 On the third day of the trial an even more curious development occurred, after Mr Humphrey Potts, for North, had earwigged a juror's conversation outside. 1989 J. Sullivan (2000) II. 6th Ser. Episode 5. 107/1 That's right. Her mum and dad said I could... You git, you was earwigging my conversation. 1995 Nov. 137/1 Barbara Stanwyck is the bed-ridden woman who overhears a plan to bump her off while earwigging a phone conversation. 2012 17 Aug. 40/3 Music can..prevent people ear-wigging the diners at the next table, but it shouldn't be intrusive. the world > space > place > presence > fact of taking up space > take up (space or a place) [verb (transitive)] > fill > specifically in immaterial sense 1880 R. Browning 340 The people clamour, Hold their peace, now fight, now fondle, earwigged through the brains. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2015; most recently modified version published online March 2022). <  n.eOE v.1804 |
