pygmy: [14] Greek pugmé meant ‘fist’ (it may have been related to Latin pugnus ‘fist’, source of English pugnacious). By extension, it was used for a ‘measure of length equal to the distance from the elbows to the knuckles’. From it was derived pugmaíos ‘dwarfish’, which passed into English via Latin pygmaeus. In ancient and medieval times it was used as a noun to designate various apocryphal or mythical races of short stature, but it was not until the late 19th century that it was applied to the people of equatorial Africa who now bear the name. => pugnacious
pygmy (n.)
late 14c., Pigmei, "member of a fabulous race of dwarfs," described by Homer and Herodotus and said to inhabit Egypt or Ethiopia and India, from Latin Pygmaei (singular Pygmaeus), from Greek Pygmaioi, plural of Pygmaios "a Pygmy," noun use of adjective meaning "dwarfish," literally "of the length of a pygme; a pygme tall," from pygme "cubit," literally "fist," the measure of length from the elbow to the knuckle; related to pyx "with clenched fist" and to Latin pugnus "fist" (see pugnacious).
Figurative use for "person of small importance" is from 1590s. Believed in 17c. to refer to chimpanzees or orangutans, and occasionally the word was used in this sense. The ancient word was applied by Europeans to the equatorial African race 1863, but the tribes probably were known to the ancients and likely were the original inspiration for the legend. As an adjective from 1590s. Related: Pygmean; Pygmaean.
例文
1. He 's a pygmy when compared with great musicians.
彼は偉大な音楽家に比べて小人になった。
2.Reaching a maximum height of 56 cm the pygmy goat is essentially a pet.
最高は56センチしかないので、この種の低品種のヤギは基本的にペットとして飼っています。
3.He is a pygmy compared with you.
あなたに比べて彼は小人です。
4.The various pygmy groups are thus the products of harshcircumstances.
様々な小人個体群は過酷な環境の産物である。
5.Sales assistant：Well，you could get that pygmy warrior over there.