clever

• adj. 巧みな、独創的な、巧みな。
• [比較cleverer 最高cleverest ]。

PIE*gleibh,cut,cleaveから、語源的にはcleft,glyphと同じ。 さらにPIE*skel,cut,cleaveから、語源的にはskill,scaleと同じ。 派生語義はdiscerning,clever。PIE*skeiの「切る、裂く」に由来するscienceと比較する。

clever

clever: [13] Clever is rather a mystery word. There is one isolated instance of what appears to be the word in an early 13th-century bestiary, where it means ‘dextrous’, and the connotations of ‘clutching something’ have led to speculation that it may be connected with claw. It does not appear on the scene again until the late 16th century, when its associations with ‘agility’ and ‘sprightliness’ may point to a link with Middle Dutch klever, of similar meaning. The modern sense ‘intelligent’ did not develop until the 18th century.

clever (adj.)

1580s, "handy, dexterous," apparently from East Anglian dialectal cliver "expert at seizing," perhaps from East Frisian klüfer "skillful," or Norwegian dialectic klover "ready, skillful," and perhaps influenced by Old English clifer "claw, hand" (early usages seem to refer to dexterity). Or perhaps akin to Old Norse kleyfr "easy to split" and from a root related to cleave "to split." Extension to intellect is first recorded 1704.

This is a low word, scarcely ever used but in burlesque or conversation; and applied to any thing a man likes, without a settled meaning. [Johnson, 1755]

The meaning has narrowed since, but clever also often in old use and dialect meant "well-shaped, attractive-looking" and in 19c. American English sometimes "good-natured, agreeable." Related: Cleverly; cleverness.

1. Northbridge is a cool，calculating and clever criminal who could strike again.

ノーズブリッジは頭が冷静で、悪巧みが多く、陰険で狡猾な犯罪者で、彼はまた犯罪を犯すかもしれない。

2.Rowe does a very clever riff on the nature of prejudice.

ロは偏見の本質について鋭い話をした。

3.Even clever people are not terribly clever when put on the spot.

賢い人が難題に直面しても、必ずしも頭がいいとは限らない。

4.She is very clever at getting men to do her bidding！

彼女は男に言いつけを聞かせるのがうまい！

5.He came up with what seemed like a clever wheeeze.

彼はよさそうなアイデアを出した。