tortoiseとは 意味・読み方・使い方

語源

From Middle English tortuse, tortuce, tortuge, from Medieval Latin tortuca, of uncertain origin. May be from Late Latin tartarūcha, from tartarūchus, from Ancient Greek ταρταροῦχος (tartaroûkhos, “holder of Tartaros, Tartarus, the land of the dead in ancient stories”), because it used to be thought that tortoises and turtles came from the underworld and they were commonly paired with such infernal beasts; or from Latin tortus (“twisted”). Displaced native 古期英語 byrdling.

発音

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈtɔːɹ.təs/
• (Received 発音) IPA^(key): /ˈtɔː.təs/
  • (英国発音, also) IPA^(key): /ˈtɔːˌtɔɪs/
• 韻: -ɔː(ɹ)təs

名詞

tortoise (複数形 tortoises)

1. Any of various land-dwelling reptiles, of the family Testudinidae (chiefly Canada, 米国用法) or the order Testudines (chiefly UK, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, South Africa, India), whose body is enclosed in a shell (carapace plus plastron). The animal can withdraw its head and four legs partially into the shell, providing some protection from predators.

   Synonym: (廃れた用法) shellpad

2. Synonym of cat (sense 10, a wheeled shelter)

使用する際の注意点

Differences exist in usage of the common terms turtle, tortoise, and terrapin, depending on the variety of English being used. In American usage, turtle is often a general term; tortoise is used only in reference to terrestrial turtles or, more narrowly, only those members of Testudinidae, the family of modern land tortoises; and terrapin may refer to turtles that are small and live in fresh and brackish water.

British and Commonwealth usage, by contrast, tends not to use turtle as a generic term for all members of the order but instead as a synonym for sea turtle specifically, and also applies the term tortoises broadly to all land-dwelling members of the order Testudines, regardless of whether they are actually members of the family Testudinidae.

Land tortoises are not native to Australia, yet traditionally freshwater turtles have been called tortoises in Australia.

派生語

• pancake tortoise
• tortoise-like, tortoiselike
• tortoise shell, tortoise-shell

参考

• terrapin
• turtle

Further reading

• tortoise on Wikipedia.

アナグラム

• rootiest