Squireとは意味・読み方・使い方

語源 1

From Middle English esquire, from Old French escuier, from Latin scūtārius (“shield-bearer”), from scūtum (“shield”).

名詞

squire (複数形 squires)

1. A shield-bearer or armor-bearer who attended a knight.
2. A title of dignity next in degree below knight, and above gentleman. See esquire.
3. A male attendant on a great personage.
4. A devoted attendant or follower of a lady; a beau.
5. A title of office and courtesy. See under esquire.
6. (UK, colloquial) Term of address to a male equal.
   • 1969, Monty Python's Flying Circus, Dead Parrot sketch

     Sorry squire, I've had a look 'round the back of the shop, and uh, we're right out of parrots.

派生語

• squarson
• squirearchy
• squiress

動詞

squire (三人称単数 現在形 squires, 現在分詞 squiring, 過去形および過去分詞形 squired)

1. (transitive) To attend as a squire.
2. (transitive) To attend as a beau, or gallant, for aid and protection.
   • 1753, Tobias Smollett, The Adventures of Ferdinand Count Fathom, volume (please specify |volume=I または II), Shakespeare Head edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Basil Blackwell, […], published 1925, OCLC 219979800:

     On some occasions, he displayed all his fund of good humour, with a view to beguile her sorrow; he importuned her to give him the pleasure of squiring her to some place of innocent entertainment; and, finally, insisted upon her accepting a pecuniary reinforcement to her finances, which he knew to be in a most consumptive condition.

   • 1759, Oliver Goldsmith, “On Dress,” in The Bee, 13 October, 1759,^[1]

     Perceiving, however, that I had on my best wig, she offered, if I would ’squire her there, to send home the footman.

   • 1812, Henry Weber (ed.), The Works of Beaumont and Fletcher, Volume 3, p. 326, footnote 3,^[2]

     To man a lady was, in former times, a phrase similar to the vulgar one at present in use, to squire.

   • 1821 January 8, [Walter Scott], “Chapter 4”, in Kenilworth; a Romance. […], volume (please specify |volume=I, II, または III), Edinburgh: […] Archibald Constable and Co.; and John Ballantyne, […]; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co., OCLC 277979407:

     Yes, such a thing as thou wouldst make of me should wear a book at his girdle instead of a poniard, and might just be suspected of manhood enough to squire a proud dame-citizen to the lecture at Saint Antonlin’s, and quarrel in her cause with any flat-capped threadmaker that would take the wall of her.

   • 1936, Margaret Mitchell, Gone with the Wind, Part One, Chapter 1,^[3]

     And raising good cotton, riding well, shooting straight, dancing lightly, squiring the ladies with elegance and carrying one’s liquor like a gentleman were the things that mattered.

   • 1988, Edmund White, The Beautiful Room is Empty, New York: Vintage International, 1994, Chapter Six,

     A butch entered squiring a blonde whore tottering along on spike heels under dairy whip hair, her chubby hand rising again and again to tuck a stray wisp back into the creamy dome.

   Synonym: escort

語源 2

From Middle English squire, borrowed from Middle French esquierre (“rule, carpenter's square”), or from Old French esquire, another form of esquarre (“square”). Cognate with French équerre. Doublet of square.

名詞

squire (複数形 squires)

1. (obsolete) A ruler; a carpenter's square; a measure.
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Qveene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for VVilliam Ponsonbie, OCLC 960102938, (please specify the book):

     But temperaunce, said he, with golden squire, / Betwixt them both can measure out a meane.

   • c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Loues Labour’s Lost”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act V, scene ii], line 474:

     do not you know my lady's foot by the squire.

   • 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Printed by John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, OCLC 54573970:

     as for a workman not to know his axe, saw, squire, or any other toole, […].

   • c. 1610–1611, William Shakespeare, “The VVinters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act IV, scene iv], line 348:

     twelve foot and a half by the squire.