turkey

• n.七面鳥; 愚か者; 失敗作

語源はトルコと同じ。16世紀、ギニアファウル（モルモット）と呼ばれる七面鳥に似た鳥が、マダガスカルからトルコを経由してヨーロッパに渡ったため、この鳥も七面鳥と呼ばれるようになった。 その後、スペインの植民者たちがアメリカの新大陸を発見した後、そこにこのアフリカの鳥によく似た大型の七面鳥がいることに気づき、またこの鳥が大きくて不器用な鳥であったため、彼らもこの鳥を七面鳥と呼んでヨーロッパに伝えた。したがって、彼らはこの鳥も七面鳥と呼んでヨーロッパに紹介した。その後、生物学的分類がより詳細になるにつれて、人々はこの2種類の鳥が実際には異なる種に属することを発見し、その違いを示すために、後にアメリカの鳥は七面鳥と呼ばれ、アフリカの鳥はギリシャ語のメレアグリスという名前を借用した。

turkey

turkey: [16] The term turkey was originally applied to the ‘guinea-fowl’, apparently because the bird was imported into Europe from Africa by the Portuguese through Turkish territory. When the American bird we now know as the turkey was introduced to the British in the mid 16th century, it seems to have reminded them of the guinea fowl, for they transferred the guinea fowl’s name turkey to it.

turkey (n.)

1540s, originally "guinea fowl" (Numida meleagris), a bird imported from Madagascar via Turkey, and called guinea fowl when brought by Portuguese traders from West Africa. The larger North American bird (Meleagris gallopavo) was domesticated by the Aztecs, introduced to Spain by conquistadors (1523) and thence to wider Europe. The word turkey first was applied to it in English 1550s because it was identified with or treated as a species of the guinea fowl, and/or because it got to the rest of Europe from Spain by way of North Africa, then under Ottoman (Turkish) rule. Indian corn was originally turkey corn or turkey wheat in English for the same reason.

The Turkish name for it is hindi, literally "Indian," probably influenced by Middle French dinde (c. 1600, contracted from poulet d'inde, literally "chicken from India," Modern French dindon), based on the then-common misconception that the New World was eastern Asia.

After the two birds were distinguished and the names differentiated, turkey was erroneously retained for the American bird, instead of the African. From the same imperfect knowledge and confusion Melagris, the ancient name of the African fowl, was unfortunately adopted by Linn?us as the generic name of the American bird. [OED]

The New World bird itself reputedly reached England by 1524 at the earliest estimate, though a date in the 1530s seems more likely. The wild turkey, the North American form of the bird, was so called from 1610s. By 1575, turkey was becoming the usual main course at an English Christmas. Meaning "inferior show, failure," is 1927 in show business slang, probably from the bird's reputation for stupidity. Meaning "stupid, ineffectual person" is recorded from 1951. Turkey shoot "something easy" is World War II-era, in reference to marksmanship contests where turkeys were tied behind a log with their heads showing as targets. To talk turkey (1824) supposedly comes from an old tale of a Yankee attempting to swindle an Indian in dividing up a turkey and a buzzard as food.

Turkey

country name, late 14c., from Medieval Latin Turchia, from Turcus (see Turk) + -ia.

1. She avoided the issue by ordering a turkey sandwich.

彼女は七面鳥サンドイッチを注文して、この重要な問題を回避した。

2.The haulage company was a carrier of machine parts to Turkey .

この道路運送会社は機械部品のトルコへの輸送を担当している。

3.Dr Kengerli looks to Turkey ashis mother country.

ケンゴリ博士はトルコを祖国と見なしている。

4.It 's a proper Christmas dinner，with turkey and bread sauce.

これはクリスマスらしい食事で、七面鳥とミルクソースがあります。

5. Turkey and Greece were buffer states against the former Soviet Union.トルコとギリシャは旧ソ連と反ソ連諸国の間の緩衝国である。