gallows: [13] Gallows was probably borrowed from Old Norse gálgi (the related Old English galga does not seem to have survived into the Middle English period). Both go back to a prehistoric Germanic *galgon ‘pole’, whose descendants, which also include Old High German galgo and Gothic galga, were often used for the ‘cross on which Christ was crucified’. The plurality of modern English gallows presumably comes from the fact that technically a gallows consists of two upright poles with a cross-piece in between (as opposed to a gibbet, which has a single upright).
gallows (n.)
c. 1300, plural of Middle English galwe "gallows" (mid-13c.), from Old Norse galgi "gallows," or from Old English galga (Mercian), gealga (West Saxon) "gallows;" all from Proto-Germanic *galgon "pole" (cognates: Old Frisian galga, Old Saxon galgo, Middle High German galge "gallows, cross," German Galgen "gallows," Gothic galga "cross"), from PIE *ghalgh- "branch, rod" (cognates: Lithuanian zalga "pole, perch," Armenian dzalk "pole"). In Old English, also used of the cross of the crucifixion. Plural because made of two poles. Gallows-tree is Old English galg-treow. Gallows humor (1881) translates German Galgenhumor.
雙語例句
1. He was saved from the gallows by a lastminute reprieve.
最後一刻的緩刑令把他從絞架上解救了下來.
來自《簡明英漢詞典》
2. The murderer was sent to the gallows for his crimes.
謀殺犯由於罪大惡極被處以絞刑.
來自《簡明英漢詞典》
3. The criminal ended up in the gallows.
那個罪犯最後被絞死了.
來自《簡明英漢詞典》
4. On the top of the gallows is fixed the knife.
絞架頂上裝著一把刀.
來自辭典例句
5. Now I was to expiate all my offences at the gallows.