| 释义 |
menial, a. and n.|ˈmiːnɪəl|
Forms: α. 4 meynal(l, -el, 5 meygnall, menal(l. β. 4–5 meyneal, meynyal, 5 menyal, mayneal, meyneyall, 6 maneall, meneal, meigniall, 7 mæniall, meniall, 7– menial.
[a. AF. meignal, menial, f. meiniee meinie.]
A. adj.
†1. Pertaining to the household, domestic. Also transf. Obs.
1387Trevisa Higden (Rolls) II. 215 A mannes owne meynal wittes [L. domestici sensus ejus] beeþ his owne enemyes. 1388Wyclif Rom. xvi. 5 Grete ȝe wel her meyneal [v.r. meynyal, Vulg. domesticam] chirche. c1400Plowman's T. 322 The tything of Turpe lucrum With these maisters is meynall. 1709Mrs. Manley Secret Mem. (1720) III. 17 He had exchang'd his own Property, his very menial Necessaries for Bread to support them.
2. Of a servant: Forming one of the household; domestic. Now only in contemptuous use: see B.
1427Will of Sir E. Braybroke in Bedford. N. & Q. (1889) II. 224, I wol that after my deces my meyne meygnall be kepte to-geder in houshold. 1444Close Roll, 23 Hen. VI, The said Geffrey was a menall man of the worshipful household of our Sovereign Lord the King. 1450Rolls of Parlt. V. 179/2 The wages and fees of youre menyall servauntez. c1475Partenay 900 To gret and smal menal persones. 1516Will R. Peke of Wakefield 4 June, Every one of my maneall servantes. 1642Chas. I in Clarendon Hist. Reb. v. §396 And all this, whilst his Majesty had no other attendance than his own Menial Servants. 1675Essex Papers (Camden) I. 294 That none shall heare Masse either at the Queen's or any Ambassrs Chappell but their owne meniall Servants. 1765Blackstone Comm. I. xiv. 413 The first sort of servants therefore, acknowledged by the laws of England, are menial servants; so called from being intra moenia, or domestics. 1776Adam Smith W.N. ii. iii. (1869) I. 332 The labour of a menial servant..adds to the value of nothing. 1791E. Inchbald Simple Story I. iv. 32 She felt herself but as a menial servant.
3. Of service or employment: Proper to or performed by a menial or domestic servant. Now only with disparaging implication: Of the nature of drudgery; servile, degrading.
1673Temple United Prov. ii. 113 His [De Wit's] Train..was only one man, who performed all the Menial service of his House at home. 1726Swift Gulliver ii. iii, A maid to dress her and two other servants for menial offices. c1829Visct. Palmerston in Lytton Life (1870) I. vi. 317 note, The wives are forced to wash and perform all menial offices. 1836W. Irving Astoria II. 39 As to the Indian, he is a game animal, not to be degraded by useful or menial toil. 1840Dickens Barn. Rudge xxiv, The menial offices..the numerous degrading duties..that I've had to do for him. 1899T. Nicol Recent Archaeol. & Bible iv. 153 The menial character of the labour [sc. brickmaking].
4. Of temper, spirit, occupations: Servile, sordid.
1837[see menialism]. 1839Bailey Festus xiii. (1852) 151 Nor cold insurgent heart, nor menial mind Can compass this. 1875Jowett Plato, Gorgias (ed. 2) II. 399 All other arts which have to do with the body are servile and menial and illiberal. 1891Edin. Rev. CLXXIII. 400 Devoted only to the menial care of building a fortune.
B. n. A ‘menial’ servant (see A. 2). Now only contemptuous, applied chiefly to liveried men-servants kept for ostentation rather than use; often suggesting an imputation of pomposity or arrogance.
1388Wyclif 2 Sam. xvi. 2 The assis ben to the meyneals of the kyng [Vulg. domesticis regis]. 1650Bp. Hall Balm Gilead xii. §4 Surely the great Housekeeper of the World..will never leave any of his menials without the bread of sufficiency. 1755Johnson, Menial, one of the train of servants. 1768T. Moss The Beggar 15 A pamper'd menial forc'd me from the door, To seek a shelter in an humbler shed. 1805Scott Last Minstr. Introd. 39 The Duchess..bade her page the menials tell That they should tend the old man well. 1820Byron Mar. Fal. iv. i, Dismiss This menial hence; I would be private with you. 1850Prescott Peru II. 76 The most common soldier was attended by a retinue of menials that would have better suited the establishment of a noble. 1854Thackeray Newcomes I. vii. 68 A hot menial in a red waistcoat came and opened the door. 1901J. Watson Life Master xviii. 170 The servants..allowed Him to pass with a menial's disdain for the poor.
Hence ˈmenialism, the condition of a menial; a menial act; meniˈality, menial character; pl. menial conditions; ˈmenially adv., like a menial.
1837New Monthly Mag. L. 132 Menial in soul, he may as well have the hire of menialism. 1846Mrs. Gore Eng. Char. (1852) 105 And is such a man to be abased to the menialities of the servants' hall? 1848Blackw. Mag. LXIV. 344 Lady Suffolk..had been bedchamber woman, and of course had performed this menialism! 1882Stevenson New Arab. Nts. (1884) 169 The Prince..handed his hat to Mr. V., his cane to Mr. R., and, leaving them..thus menially employed upon his service, spoke. |