whittle

• vt. 欠く；切る；スライスする；弱める
• 木を削る；体を壊す
• n. 肉屋のナイフ
• n.(Whittle)人の名前；(Eng.)Whittier

研ぐという意味のwhetからきていると思われる。

whittle (v.)

1550s, "to cut thin shavings from (something) with a knife," from Middle English whittel "a knife," especially a large one (c. 1400), variant of thwittle (late 14c.), from Old English twitan "to cut," from Proto-Germanic *thwit- (cognates: Old Norse tveita "to hew"), from PIE root *twei- "to agitate, shake, toss." Figurative sense is attested from 1746. Related: Whittled; whittling.

1. The president has agreed to whittle down his proposal.

大統領は彼の提案を減らすことに同意した。

2.I believe that the Government 's general aim is to whittle away the Welfare State.

政府の総目的は福祉国家体制を弱めることだと思います。

3.Their approach is to whittle away at the evidence to show reasonable doubt.

彼らのやり方は、証拠の説得力を弱めて合理的な疑問を提起することだ。

4.They are trying to whittle down our salaries.

彼らは私たちの給料の削減に着手しています。

5.He began to whittle away all powers of the government that he did not control.

彼は制御できなかったすべての政府権力を弱体化させ始めた。