turkey

• n. 火雞；笨蛋；失敗之作

詞源同 Turkey,土耳其。在 16 世紀時，有一種類似火雞的禽鳥叫 guinea fowl,幾內亞禽鳥，或 幾內亞雞，從馬達加斯加經過土耳其進入歐洲，所以又稱為 turkey,後來西班牙殖民者發現美 洲新大陸後，他們注意到當地有一種較大的火雞長得與這種非洲禽鳥非常相似，且這種鳥個 頭巨大，非常笨拙，因此，他們也把這種鳥叫作 turkey,並引進歐洲。後隨著生物學分類更加 細化，人們發現這兩種禽鳥實際上屬於不同種類，為以示區別，後來就把美洲的禽鳥叫 turkey, 把非洲的禽鳥借用希臘語 meleagris 稱呼。

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 Linnæus 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.

她點了份火雞三明治，以此來避開這個重要問題。

來自柯林斯例句

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

該公路貨運公司負責將機械零件運往土耳其。

來自柯林斯例句

3. Dr Kengerli looks to Turkey as his mother country.

肯戈理博士視土耳其為自己的祖國。

來自柯林斯例句

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

這是頓像樣的聖誕大餐，有火雞和牛奶沙司。

來自柯林斯例句

5. Turkey and Greece were buffer states against the former Soviet Union.

土耳其和希臘是前蘇聯與反蘇國家之間的緩衝國。

來自柯林斯例句