| 释义 |
klepht|klɛft|
Also kleft.
[ad. mod. Gr. κλέϕτης, ancient Gr. κλέπτης thief.]
One of the body of Greeks who refused to submit to the Turks after the conquest of Greece in the fifteenth century, and maintained their independence in the mountains. After the war of independence (1821–28) those who continued this existence became mere brigands. Hence, A brigand, bandit.
1820T. S. Hughes Trav. Sicily, etc. I. vi. 178 Here we pitched our tent and dined, but the tatar would not permit us to sleep under it for fear of the kleftes or banditti. 1847Church in Life & Lett. 20 Apr. (1894) 106 The difficulty of the road,..and the fear of klephts. 1888Blackie in Times 7 Apr. 7/2 The assertors of Greek independence..were, in fact, a sort of patriotic brigands, known as klephts.
Hence ˈklephtic a., belonging to or characteristic of klephts; ˈklephtism, brigandage.
1834Ld. Houghton Mem. Many Scenes, Suliot to Frank (1844) 28 The Suliot character and method of life..the rash impartiality with which they conducted their klephtic enterprises. 1858Freeman in W. R. W. Stephens Life (1895) I. 239 Plenty of evils, peculation, klephtism, what not—but good stuff at the bottom. |