| 释义 |
▪ I. ˈgodˌfather, n.
[f. god n. + father n.: see below.]
1. A male sponsor considered in relation to his god-child.
According to the practice of the Roman, Greek, Anglican, and some other churches, certain persons (commonly two at least, a man and woman) assist at the administration of baptism, make profession of the Christian faith on behalf of the person baptized, and guarantee his or her religious education. In accordance with the view that these persons enter into a spiritual relationship with the baptized person and with each other, they were in OE. denoted by designations formed by prefixing god- to the words expressing natural relationship, as godsib, godfæder, godmódor, godbearn, etc. The same terms are employed in the Scandinavian languages (ON. guðdóttir, -faðir, -móðir, etc., and corresponding forms in Sw. and Da.), prob. as adoptions from OE. The Du. godmoeder, godvader (also goed-), recorded in Kilian, are obsolete (if they were ever used) in Holland, but are still current in certain parts of Belgium.
c1000Laws of Ine c. 76 in Schmid Gesetze 56 Gif hwa oðres..slea..god-fæder. 1002Will of Wulfric in Kemble Cod. Dipl. VI. 148 Hit wæs mines godfæder ᵹyfu. c1175Lamb. Hom. 73 Þet mon scule childre fulhten and heore godfaderes and heore godmoderes scullen onswerie for hem [etc.]. 1303R. Brunne Handl. Synne 1691 Þou shalt not..Wedde þy godfadrys wyfe. c1350Will. Palerne 4085 Alphouns his gode godfaderes dede him þan calle at kyrke for his kinde name. c1386Chaucer Pars. T. ⁋835 Right so as he that engendreth a child is his flesshly fader right so is his godfather his fadere spiritueel. 1426Audelay Poems (Percy Soc.) 11 Oure godfars, oure godmoders. 1479Surtees Misc. (1888) 38 Whose godfadre was John Elwalde. 1548Hall Chron., Edw. IV, 226 Whome for a farther affinitie, he had made Godfather to hys sonne Charles the Doulphyn. 1650B. Discolliminium 44, I am glad God⁓fathers are cashiered for his sake. 1661Except. agst. Liturgy 25 The far greater number of persons baptized within these twenty years last past, had no Godfathers nor God-Mothers at their Baptism. 1662Bk. Com. Prayer, Publick Baptism, There shall be for every male child to be baptized..two Godfathers and one Godmother: and for every female, one Godfather and two Godmothers. 1732Law Serious C. x. (ed. 2) 140 He refused to be Godfather to his Nephew because he will have no trust of any kind to answer for. 1839Dickens Lett. (1880) I. 24, I must solicit you to become godfather.
b. A male sponsor at Confirmation.
In the Roman Catholic church new sponsors are appointed for confirmation.
1549Bk. Com. Prayer S ij b, Then shall they bee brought to the Bushop by one that shalbee his godfather or god⁓mother, that euery childe maye haue a wittenesse of his confirmacion. 1721Strype Eccl. Mem. II. i. 4 The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Duke of Norfolk, Godfathers at the Font, and the Duke of Suffolk, Godfather at the Confirmation, were served with like Spices, Wafers and Wine.
c. A ‘sponsor’ at the consecration of a bell.
1498–9in Kerry St. Lawrence, Reading (1883) 84 Godfaders and godmoder at the consecracyon of the same bell. 1756–7tr. Keysler's Trav. (1760) I. 8 In the middle ages, the baptising of bells was attended with much festivity..The godfathers who were unlimited,..gave grand entertainments. 1844Dickens Chimes i, They had had their Godfathers and Godmothers, these Bells (for my own part..I would rather incur the responsibility of being Godfather to a Bell than a Boy). 1851Longfellow Gold. Leg. iv. Cloisters, Conrad..who stood Godfather to our bells.
2. transf. and fig. (Often with reference to the godfather's naming the child at baptism).
The equivalent words in various continental languages (F. parrain, etc.) have certain recognized transferred senses, which the Eng. word has sometimes been used to render: e.g. ‘a name anciently given to a kind of seconds, who attended and assisted the knights in tournaments or single combats’ (Chambers Cycl. 1751, s.v.); also, under the rule of the Inquisition, one who attended a condemned person at an auto-da-fé (cf. Littré s.v. Parrain).
1588Shakes. L.L.L. i. i. 88 These earthly Godfathers of heauens lights, That giue a name to euery fixed Starre. 1592― Ven. & Ad. Ded., If the first heire of my inuention proue deformed, I shall be sorie it had so noble a god⁓father. 1617Moryson Itin. i. 37 After they had fined me some cannes of wine, and..had made me free, it remained that he whom they had chosen to be my God-father,..should instruct me with some precepts. c1626Dick of Devon. i. ii. in Bullen O. Pl. II. 16 The Popes Holynes would needes be Godfather To this most mighty big limbd Child, and call it Th' Invincible Armado. 1645Milton Tetrach. Wks. (1851) 220 When law contracts a kindred and hospitality with transgression, becomes the godfather of sinne and names it Lawfull [etc.]. 1674J. Josselyn Voy. New Eng. 219 America so named from Americus Vespucius,..although Columbus and Cabota deserved rather the honour of being Godfathers to it. 1815Sporting Mag. XLVI. 117 The author has acknowledged but one godfather throughout his work. 1839Marryat Phant. Ship (Rtldg.) 335 The culprits who had been spared were led back to the Inquisition by their godfathers.
†b. pl. In jocular use: Jurymen whose verdict brings a man to the gallows. Also godfathers-in-law. Obs.
1596Shakes. Merch. V. iv. i. 398 In christning thou shalt haue two godfathers, Had I been iudge, thou shouldst haue had ten more, To bring thee to the gallowes, not to the font. 1616B. Jonson Devil an Ass v. iii, Not I, If you be such a one Sir, I will leaue you, To your God-fathers in Law. Let twelue men worke. a1634Randolph Muses Looking-gl. iv. iv. (1638) 79, I had rather zee him remitted to the jayle, and haue his twelue God-vathers, good men and true, contemne him to the Gallowes.
c. (Freq. with capital initial.) One of the leaders of the American Mafia; the head of a ‘family’, a ‘don’; spec. [after the film The Godfather by Francis Ford Coppola (1972), based on the novel by Mario Puzo (1969)], the leader of the American Mafia, the ‘boss of all bosses’. Also transf. slang (orig. U.S.).
1963Illicit Narcotics Traffic: Hearings Comm. Govt. Operations (88th U.S. Congress, 1 Sess.) 184 Are you the godfather of any other member ‘made’ since then? 1972N.Y. Times Mag. 4 June vi. 91/1 Just to run down the names of the nearly dozen capos—all subordinate to the family boss, or godfather, as he is also called—heading the different regimes within the family..illustrates what this investigator means when he says the Colombo combine is deep into ‘everything’. 1974Times 15 Jan. 2/5 [The] London restaurant owner..said to have been known as ‘The Godfather’ in a drug smuggling ring, was jailed. 1978N.Y. Times 13 Feb. a12/1 Some critics say the I.R.A. has become a children's army... The youngsters, they say, are manipulated by a little band of experienced ‘godfathers’ who make the plans but never risk their own lives. 1984Sunday Times (Colour Suppl.) 4 Nov. 38/3 In America one can catch the same faces on trade union leaders, corporate executives, mafia godfathers, mafia lieutenants, some congressmen and..some of President Reagan's close advisers.
Hence ˈgodfatherhood, the fact of being a godfather; ˈgodfatherless a., without a godfather; godfatherly a., befitting a godfather; also transf.; ˈgodfathership, the position of a godfather.
15..Colkelbie Sow in Bannatyne MS. (Hunter. Club) 1047 Colkelby..bocht Xxiiij hen heggis, and with thame socht To his gud sone, for godfadirly reward. 1677Godfathership [see godmothership]. 1807Southey Let. to Miss Barker Lett. II. 37 Danvers is one of those dissenters who..look upon godfathership as a relic of Popish superstition. 1859Mrs. Gaskell Round the Sofa 328 These poor last folks must just be content to be godfatherless orphans and Dissenters, all their lives. 1896Du Maurier in Critic (U.S.) 31 Oct. 270/1 The kind thought which prompted you to let me know of my godfatherhood. 1928Observer 29 Jan. 17/2 That ‘brighter cricket’ which Lord Hawke, on behalf of Yorkshire, promises for the coming season. This taking of godfatherly vows for a county team is a picturesque departure, which, we may hope, will have no anti-climax. 1958Wodehouse Cocktail Time xv. 128 Lord Ickenham patted his arm in a godfatherly manner.
▪ II. ˈgodfather, v.
[f. prec.]
trans. To act as godfather to; to take under one's care, make oneself responsible for; to give a name to.
1780Burke Sp. Œcon. Reform. Wks. III. 327 The colonies which have had the fortune of not being godfathered by the board of trade, never cost the nation a shilling. 1879Geo. Eliot Theo. Such 69 All which views were godfathered by names quite fit to be ranked with that of Grampus. a1884M. Pattison Mem. i. (1885) 50 Belfield godfathered me, introduced me into his set. 1890Temple Bar Jan. 19 Via Garibaldi, street of palaces that deserves an antiquer name than that of the..recent hero who has godfathered it. |