fierce
英 [fɪəs]
美 [fɪrs]
- adj.獰猛な; 激しい; 怒りっぽい
- n.（獰猛な）人名；（英）Fierce
語源
英語の語源
- fierce
- fierce: [13] Fierce has not always had exclusively negative connotations of ‘aggression’, although admittedly they do go back a long way. Its source, Latin ferus (which also gave English feral) meant originally ‘wild, untamed’, but it subsequently developed the metaphorical sense ‘uncultivated, savage, cruel’. However, when English acquired the word, via Anglo-Norman fers and Old French fiers, it was used for ‘brave’ and ‘proud’ as well as ‘wildly hostile or menacing’. ‘Brave’ died out in the 16th century, although across the Channel ‘proud’ has survived to become the only sense of modern French fiers.
=> feral - fierce (adj.)
- mid-13c., "proud, noble, bold, haughty," from Old French fers, fiers, nominative form of fer, fier "strong, overwhelming, violent, fierce, wild; proud, mighty, great, impressive" (Modern French fier "proud, haughty"), from Latin ferus "wild, untamed, uncultivated; waste, desert;" figuratively "wild, uncultivated, savage, cruel," from PIE root *ghwer- "wild; wild animal" (cognates: Greek ther, Old Church Slavonic zveri, Lithuanian zveris "wild beast").
Meaning "ferocious, wild, savage, cruel" of persons is from c. 1300; of beasts from late 14c. Original English sense of "brave, proud" died out 16c., but while this sense was current fierce often was used in English as an epithet (and thus surname), which accounts for the rare instance of a French word entering English in the nominative case. Related: Fiercely; fierceness. In Middle English sometimes also "dangerous, destructive; great, strong; huge (in number)." An early 15c. medical treatise has fers benes for "wild beans."
例文
- 1. The area has been the scene of fierce fighting for three months.
- この地域では3カ月間にわたって激戦が続いている。
- 2.Legislation to that effect created fierce controversy both in Parliament and outside.そのような立法は議会内外で激しい論争を呼んでいる。
- 3.Such a policy would inevitably draw fierce resistance from farmers.
- このような政策は必然的に農場主の強い抵抗を招く。
- 4.Competition has been fierce to win a stake in Skoda.
- スコダ株式の争奪戦は熾烈を極めている。
- 5.Its leaves drooped a little in the fierce heat of the sun.
- その葉は灼熱の太陽の下でわずかに垂れ下がっている。