| 释义 |
Vandal, n. and a.|ˈvændəl|
Also 6–7 Vandale, 7 Vandall, and with lower-case initial in transferred uses.
[ad. L. Vandalus, pl. Vandali (also -alii, -ili, -ilii, -uli), whence also F. Vandale, It., Sp., Pg. Vandalo. Trevisa, in his translation of Higden (1387), uses the form Wandales.
The different Latin forms indicate a variation of suffix in the Germanic stem, viz. *Wandal-, -il-, -ul-. The second of these is represented by OE. Wendlas (pl.), ON. Vendill, designating inhabitants of the north of Jutland.]
A. n.
1. A member of a Germanic tribe, which in the fourth and fifth centuries invaded Western Europe, and established settlements in various parts of it, esp. in Gaul and Spain, finally in 428–9 migrating to Northern Africa. Chiefly in pl.
In the year 455 their king Genseric led a marauding expedition against Rome, which he took and completely sacked. The Vandals were overthrown by Belisarius in 533 at the battle of Tricamarum.
1555Eden Decades (Arb.) 283 Chaunges..caused..by the commynge of the Gothes and Vandales, and other Barbarians into Italy. 1596Spenser St. Irel. Wks. (Globe) 627/2 The coming downe of the Gothes, the Hunnes, and the Vandals. 1605Verstegan Dec. Intell. ii. 44 The Gothes and the Vandalles, beeing also a people of the septentrional partes of Germanie. 1647–8Sir C. Cotterell tr. Davila's Hist. Fr. (1678) 3 Famous incursions of the Vandals. 1694Dryden To Sir G. Kneller 47 Till Goths, and Vandals, a rude Northern race, Did all the matchless Monuments deface. a1743Savage Of Public Spirit Wks. 1777 II. 141 Rome all subdu'd, yet Vandals vanquish'd Rome. 1788Gibbon Decl. & F. xli. IV. 146 The certain intelligence that the Vandal [sc. Gelimer] had fled to the inaccessible country of the Moors. 1842Penny Cycl. XXIV. 266/1 The Slavonian tribes were subject to the Teutonic Vandals, who are often confounded with the Wends. 1888Encycl. Brit. XXIV. 58/2 There does not seem to be in the story of the capture of Rome by the Vandals any justification for the charge of wilful and objectless destruction of public buildings.
2. transf.
a. One who acts like a Vandal or barbarian; a wilful or ignorant destroyer of anything beautiful, venerable, or worthy of preservation.
1663Gerbier Counsel 50 For who would Rob them but Goths and Vandalls. 1709Pope Ess. Crit. 696 At length Erasmus..Stemm'd the wild torrent of a barb'rous age, And drove those holy Vandals [i.e monks] off the stage. 1780Cowper On Burning Ld. Mansfield's Library 1 The Vandals of our isle..Have burnt to dust a nobler pile Than ever Roman saw! 1801Helen M. Williams Mann. & Opin. Fr. Rep. II. xxxv. 177 The monuments..which have escaped the fury of our modern Vandals [i.e. Jacobins]. a1839Praed Poems (1864) II. 189 A horrid Vandal,—but his money Will buy a glorious coat of arms. 1895E. R. Suffling Land of Broads 85 Stained glass, which those narrow-minded Vandals, the Puritans, took great pains to destroy.
b. attrib. and Comb., as vandal-proof, vandal-resistant adjs.
1971H. Pacy Road Accidents iv. 115 A vandalproof phone, consisting of a loudspeaker and microphone sheltered behind heavy steel grids. 1977Linlithgowshire Jrnl. & Gaz. 15 Apr. 3/5 We have tried to make the hall vandal⁓proof by introducing a number of safeguards. 1977C. Brandreth Parking Law 50 Boston (Mass.)..have vandal-resistant meters, the coins encased in a heavy iron box.
B. adj.
1. Of or pertaining to the Vandals (or a Vandal).
Vandal war, the war waged by the Roman Empire against the Vandals in Africa, 532–546.
1613Purchas Pilgrimage (1614) 98 Procopius, in the fourth booke of the Vandale Warre. 1781Gibbon Decl. & F. xxxiii. (1787) III. 346 The warlike tyrant is supposed to have shed more Vandal blood by the hand of the executioner, than in the field of battle. 1788Ibid. xli. IV. 152 The chariots of state which had been used by the Vandal queen. 1842Penny Cycl. XXIV. 266/1 All the names of the Vandal kings are Teutonic. 1879Lumby Introd. to Higden (Rolls) VII. p. xx, Gregory [VI] appealed to the emperor for help, and when an excuse of the Vandal war was made by him, the pope took the field himself against the robbers. 1888Encycl. Brit. XXIV. 58/2 The Vandal occupation of this great city [i.e. Carthage]..lasted for ninety-four years.
2. Acting like a Vandal in the wilful or ignorant destruction of things of beauty or historic interest; recklessly or ruthlessly destructive; barbarous, rude, uncultured.
1700Dryden Prol. [Fletcher's Pilgrim] 35 Our bold Britton..Invades the Psalms with Rhymes, and leaves no room For any Vandal Hopkins yet to come. 1798W. T. Fitzgerald Misc. Poems (1801) 99 Though Europe suffers, to her foul disgrace, This second Inroad of the Vandal Race. 1889Science-Gossip XXV. 34 Vandal naturalists. 1892T. A. Cook Old Touraine (1894) II. 39 A certain vandal senator..irreparably destroyed a great part of the old buildings.
3. Characterized by vandalism or lack of culture; vandalic, vandalistic.
1752H. Walpole Lett. (1846) II. 443 Some good tombs.., and a very Vandal one. 1857Ld. Granville in Life (1905) I. x. 260 They..are against any Vandal destruction of towns, palaces, etc. 1863M. Howitt tr. F. Bremer's Greece & Greeks II. xii. 24 Masses of marble fragments and stones show what a work of Vandal desolation has been here.
Hence ˈVandalled pa. pple., over-run or devastated by the Vandals.
1648Winyard Midsummer-Moon 4 The whole University resembles Greece over-run by Turkes, or Italy Goth'd and Vandald. |