sparrowとは

語源

From Middle English sparwe, sparowe, from 古期英語 spearwa, from Proto-Germanic *sparwô, from Proto-Indo-European *spḗr (“sparrow”). Cognate with Dutch spreeuw (“starling”), Alemannic German Spar (“sparrow”), German Sperling (“sparrow”), Danish and Norwegian Bokmål spurv (“sparrow”), Norwegian Nynorsk sporv (“sparrow”), Swedish sparv (“sparrow”), Breton frao (“crow”), Tocharian A spārāñ, Ancient Greek ψάρ (psár, “starling”).

発音

• IPA^(key): /ˈspæɹəʊ/, /ˈspæɹoʊ/, /ˈspɛɹoʊ/
• (Mary–marry–merry distinction)
• (Mary–marry–merry merger)
• 韻: -ærəʊ

名詞

sparrow (複数形 sparrows)

1. The house sparrow, Passer domesticus; a small bird with a short bill, and brown, white and gray feathers.
2. A member of the family Passeridae, comprising small Old World songbirds.
3. A member of the family Emberizidae, comprising small New World songbirds.
4. Generically, any small, nondescript bird.
5. (Britain, chiefly London) A quick-witted, lively person. Often used in the phrase cockney sparrow.
   • 2005, Drama Faces: Martine McCutcheon, BBC

     Professional cockney sparrow Martine has acted since childhood.

   • 1878, Ally Sloper's guide to the Paris exhibition, Charles Henry Ross, page 54:

     I take it there 's scarcely a happier fellow alive than your honest town-bred smoke-dried cockney sparrow.

同意語

• spadger, sparra, spoggy, spuggy

派生語

• sparrowhawk
• house sparrow
• tree sparrow