| 释义 |
impertinent, a. (n.)|ɪmˈpɜːtɪnənt|
Also 4 impertenent, 5 inpertynent, 6 impertynent, impartinent, -ynente.
[a. F. impertinent (14th c. in Hatz.-Darm.) or ad. L. impertinēns, -ēnt-em not belonging, in med.L. ‘ineptus, insulsus’ (Du Cange), f. im- (im-2) + pertinēns pertinent.]
†1. Not appertaining or belonging (to); unconnected, unrelated; inconsonant. ? Obs.
c1380Wyclif Serm. Sel. Wks. II. 31 Many men in þis world ben impertinent to erþeli lordis, for neiþer þei ben servantis to hem, ne þes lordis þeir worldly lordis. 1526Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 166 Thynges that be eche to other impertynent & dyuerse. 1666Ormonde MSS. in 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm. App. v. 23 His private affayres and business (impertinent to anything relating to the said Lord Archbishop). 1809–10Coleridge Friend (1837) III. 118 The more distant, disjointed and impertinent to each other and to any common purpose, will they appear.
2. Not pertaining to the subject or matter in hand; not pertinent; not to the point; irrelevant. Now rare exc. in Law.
c1386Chaucer Clerk's Prol. 54 Trewely as to my Iuggement Me thynketh it a thyng impertinent Saue that he wole conuoyen his mateere. 1530Palsgr. 7 As for w is no letter used in the frenche tong..therfore as impertinent I passe it over. a1571Jewel Serm. bef. Queen (1583) A iij b, Let no man thinke these things are impertinent or from the purpose. 1610Shakes. Temp. i. ii. 138 I'le bring thee to the present businesse Which now's vpon's: without the which, this Story Were most impertinent. 1642Jer. Taylor Episc. (1647) 84 The allegation of S. Timothy's being an Evangelist, is absolutely impertinent, though it had been true. 1768Blackstone Comm. III. xxvii. 443 The master is to examine the propriety of the bill: and, if he reports it scandalous or impertinent, such matter must be struck out. 1812M. Edgeworth Vivian x. (1832) 196 He did not..digress to fifty impertinent episodes, before he came to the point. 1872Wharton Law Lex. (ed. 5) 467/1 The Court may..direct the costs occasioned by any impertinent matter in any proceeding, to be paid by the party introducing it.
3. Not suitable to the circumstances; incongruous, inappropriate, out of place; not consonant with reason; absurd, idle, trivial, silly.
1590P. Barrough Meth. Physick i. xxxiii. (1639) 53 Many ignorant practitioners..have endeavoured to cure this infirmity with many impertinent medicines. 1631Weever Anc. Fun. Mon. 16 These superfluous and impertinent costs of funerall expenses. 1662J. Davies tr. Olearius' Voy. Ambass. 80 The opinion the Muscovites have of themselves and their abilities, is sottish, gross, and impertinent. 1677Hale Prim. Orig. Man. i. i. 13 In comparison of this, all other Knowledge is vain, light and impertinent. 1706Phillips, Impertinent,..absurd, silly, idle. 1706Estcourt Fair Examp. iv. i. 42 For my part, I think a Woman's Heart is the most impertinent part of the whole Body. 1849Ruskin Sev. Lamps iv. §21. 111 There never was a more flagrant nor impertinent folly than the smallest portion of ornament in anything concerned with railroads.
†b. Unsuitable, unfitted for. Obs.
1594Carew Huarte's Exam. Wits (1616) 177 A power impertinent for curing. Ibid. 183 To make clockes, pictures, poppets, and other ribaldries..impertinent for mans seruice.
†c. Of persons: Absurd, silly. Obs.
1639T. Brugis tr. Camus' Mor. Relat. 205 As soone as a man brags, he is taken to be impertinent. 1681J. Chetham Angler's Vade-m. xxii. §1 (1689) 143, I suspect myself to be Impertinent in saying thus much of the Conger, and Lampery. 1711Steele Spect. No. 148 ⁋7 The Ladies whom you visit, think a wise Man the most Impertinent Creature living.
4. Const. to (unto): in senses 2 and 3.
1532More Confut. Barnes viii. Wks. 740/1 Beyng as it is impertinent to the principall purpose. 1564Brief Exam. C iij, I thynke it not impartinent vnto this matter. 1656Hobbes Lib., Necess. & Chance (1841) 5 All the places of Scripture that he allegeth..are impertinent to the question. 1733Neal Hist. Purit. II. 304 It is no impertinent story to our present purpose. 1849W. Fitzgerald tr. Whitaker's Disput. 185 All the common disquisitions upon this place..however true in themselves, are foreign to the subject and impertinent to the matter in hand.
5. Of persons, their actions, etc.: Meddling with what is beyond one's province; intrusive, presumptuous; behaving without proper respect or deference to superiors or strangers; insolent or saucy in speech or behaviour. (The chief current sense in colloq. use.)
[1618Sir D. Carleton Let. 4 Dec. in Crt. & Times Jas. I (1848) II. 111 They [the Armenians at the Synod of Dort] are decried from their impertinent boldness and impudence by all men. ]1681Nevile Plato Rediv. 32, I have been impertinent in interrupting you. 1716Lady M. W. Montagu Let. to Mrs. Thistlethwaite 30 Aug., It is publicly whispered, as a piece of impertinent pride in me, that I have hitherto been saucily civil to everybody. 1725De Foe Voy. round World (1840) 91 A very useful, skilful fellow, but withal so impertinent and inquisitive that we knew not what to say to him. 1798Nelson Let. to French Commander at Malta Oct., I feel confident that you will not attribute it either to insolence or impertinent curiosity. 1847James Convict iii, He thought the stranger's tone rather impertinent. 1888M. E. Braddon Fatal Three i. iv, Fay has been most impertinent to me.
b. transf. of things.
1848Dickens Dombey iv, Fenced up behind the most impertinent cushions. 1860Sala Lady Chesterf. v. 83 The Lowther Arcade is vulgar and impertinent. 1861Thackeray Four Georges iv. (1862) 221 Her fair hair, her blue eyes, and her impertinent shoulders.
B. n.
†1. An impertinent or irrelevant matter.
1628Feltham Resolves i. Ep. Ded. A iij b, To apparell any more [of my thoughts] in these Paper vestments, I should multiply impertinents.
2. An impertinent person: see the adj.; now esp. a meddlesome, presumptuous, or insolent person; one who does or says that which he has no business to do or say, and which is considered a piece of presumption or insolence.
1635A. Stafford Fem. Glory (1869) 5 This curious Impertinent. 1678R. L'Estrange Seneca's Mor. (1702) 398 This Day I have had entire to my Self..For all the Impertinents were either at the Theatre..or at the Horse-match. 1682A. Behn City Heiress 39 Nay dear Impertinent, no more Complements, be gone! 1710Palmer Proverbs 355 An inquisitive impertinent..medling where he has nothing to do. 1825Lamb Elia Ser. ii. Stage Illusion, When the pleasant impertinent of comedy..worries the studious man with taking up his leisure, or making his house his home. 1846W. P. Scargill Purit. Grave 52 Henry St. John..rebuked the young impertinents.
Hence † imˈpertinentness, impertinency.
1670Penn Truth Rescued fr. Impost. 66 The Frivolousness and Impertinentness of this Ribaldry to the Controversie in hand. |