| 释义 |
jordan1|ˈdʒɔːdən|
Forms: 4–6 iurdan(e, iordan, 5 iurdone, 6 yordan, iourden, 6–7 iorden, 7 jur-, jor-, jourdon, jordain, 7–9 jurden, 8 jourdan, 7– jordan.
[Origin uncertain.
The suggestion has been made that Jordan is short for Jordan-bottle, and meant orig. a bottle of water brought from the Jordan by crusaders or pilgrims; that it was thence transferred to ‘a pot or vessel used by physicians and alchemists’, and thence to the chamber utensil. But the earlier steps of this conjecture app. rest upon nothing but the later form of the word (which may actually be a corruption of something else), and the external probabilities of such an origin. It is remarkable that, though the early accentuation and spellings indicate a French origin, no trace of the word has been found in Old French; nor does the med.L. jurdānus appear to be known outside England. The river Jordan is in L. Jordānēs, a word necessarily familiar to the author of the Promp. Parv. and other glossarists, who used not this, but jurdanus for the ‘jurdan’.]
†1. A kind of pot or vessel formerly used by physicians and alchemists. Obs.
As figured in Sloane MS. 73, and elsewhere, it has somewhat the shape of the bulb of a retort, or of a Florence flask with the neck cut off midway between the widest part and the mouth, and the top expanded somewhat to a rim. Possibly it was often used to hold urine for purposes of diagnosis, which would naturally lead to sense 2. Skeat puts the Chaucer example in sense 2.
[1384–5Acc. Rolls Durham (Surtees) 265, j mortarium ereum cum pila ferrea, j stillatorium plumbeum cum olla erea sibi convenienti, j postenet, j jurdanus, j dorsorium antiquam.] c1386Chaucer Doctor-Pardoner Link 19 (C. 305) Thyne vrynals and thy Iurdones [v.rr. Iurdanes, Iordans, Iordanes] Thyn ypocras and eek thy Galiones And euery boyste ful of thy letuarie. 14..Sloane MS. 73 lf. 133 b (olim 138 b), Make a good lute..and þerwiþ daub þi Iordan al aboute..and putte al þi mater in þe Iordan and hange it ouer þe fier by þe necke þt þe glas be almoost an hond brede fro þe coolis.
2. A chamber-pot. Now vulgar or dial.
1402–3Acc. Rolls Durham (Surtees) 217, 1 lectus de plumis; 7 iordan; 7 cappe pro noctibus. 1404Ibid. 398, 1 fethyr-bed, 5 pulvinaria, 5 cathedre, 5 nyght chares, 5 iordan. 1440Promp. Parv. 267/1 Iurdone, pyssepotte, iurdanus. 1596Shakes. 1 Hen. IV, ii. i. 22. 1622 B. Jonson Masque Augurs, Her Hand-maid with a Iorden. 1711Puckle Club (1817) 92 Glasses, bottles, candlesticks, chairs, stools, and jordans were converted into weapons. 1751Smollett Per. Pic. xlvii, Snatching up an earthen chamberpot{ddd}shaking his jordan at the imaginary guard. 1888Sheffield Gloss., Jordan, madula.
3. Applied derisively to a person. (With the first quot. cf. the L. uses of matula a vessel, pot; spec. a chamber-pot, urinal; fig. a term of abuse, Foolish, silly fellow, noodle.)
1377Langl. P. Pl. B. xiii. 82, I shal iangle to þis Iurdan with his iust wombe To telle me what penaunce is. 1500–20Dunbar Poems l. 38 Thairfoir Quhentyne was bot ane lurdane That callit him ane full plum Jurdane.
†4. slang. A blow with a staff. Obs. [Perh. unconnected with the above. Cf. Gen. xxxii. 10.]
a1700B. E. Dict. Cant. Crew, Jordain, a great Blow or Staff.
5. attrib., as jordan-pot = sense 1 or 2.
1577–87Holinshed Chron. (1807–8) II. 754 A lewd fellow that tooke vpon him to be skilfull in physicke..was set on horssebacke, with his face towards the taile,..and so was led about the citie, with two jorden pots about his necke. |