| 释义 |
▪ I. author, n.|ˈɔːθə(r)|
Forms: 4–6 autour, 4–7 autor, 5 awtor, autere, 5–6 auctoure, -tore, actour, -tor, 5–7 auctour, -tor, 6 aucthour, 6–7 aucthor, 6–8 authour, 6– author.
[a. AF. autour = OF. autor, later auteur, ad. L. auctor, agent-noun f. augēre to make to grow, originate, promote, increase. Already in 14th c. F., occasionally written auct- after L., which became the ordinary spelling in Eng. in 15–16th c., and was further corrupted to act-, from med.L. confusion of auctor and actor. The spelling auth- seems to have been at first a scribal variant of aut- (cf. rhetor, rethour) in 15–16th c. F., and appeared in Eng. c 1550, being at first applied to the form auctour so as to make aucthour. It is impossible to say to what extent these factitious spellings affected the spoken word, or when the modern pronunciation was established.]
1. gen. The person who originates or gives existence to anything:
a. An inventor, constructor, or founder. Now obs. of things material; exc. as in b.
c1384Wyclif De Eccl. ix, Sel. Wks. 1871 III. 359 Þis [lawe] mut passe alle oþir siþ þe auctor is þe beste. c1386Chaucer Parson's Tale 808 The auctour [v.r. auctor, actour, autere] of matrimonye, that is Crist. 1447O. Bokenham Seyntys Introd. 1 The efficyent cause is the auctour Wych..doth hys labour To acomplyse the begunne matere. 1576Lambarde Peramb. Kent (1826) 297 One Robert Creuequer, the authour of the Castle. 1663Gerbier Counsel C iij a, The Author of the Piazza. 1699Lond. Gaz. No. 3532/4 (Advt.) The Author of the Rich Cordial called Nectar and Ambrosia, is Removed to Mr. Hugh Newmans. 1766Goldsm. Vic. W. xxix. (1857) 211 The Authour of our religion. 1865Mill Liberty ii. 18/1 The authors and abettors of the rule.
b. (of all, of nature, of the universe, etc.) The Creator.
c1374Chaucer Troylus iii. 1016 But o þou Ioue, o autour of nature! c1400Apol. Loll. 44 Crist, autor of al þing. 1508Fisher Wks. i. 198 Auctour and maker of all thynges. 1714Addison Spect. No. 571 ⁋7 The great Author of Nature. 1853Robertson Serm. Ser. iii. iv. (1872) 55 The Father the Author of our being..He is the Author of all life.
c. He who gives rise to or causes an action, event, circumstance, state, or condition of things.
1413Lydg. Pylgr. Sowle i. xvii. 14 An open lyer and autour of al falshede. c1440Gesta Rom. ii. v. (1838) 287 Auctore of pride is the fende; auctor of concupiscence of eyene is the worlde. 1606Shakes. Ant. & Cl. ii. vi. 138 The immediate Author of their variance. 1609Skene Reg. Maj. 6 Ane lover, and ane auctor of peace. 1653Holcroft Procopius i. 15 Authour of the mischiefs. 1865Mill Liberty ii. 16/1 The authors of such splendid benefits. 1884Chr. World 5 June 417/1 The author of the Zulu war.
†d. He who authorizes or instigates; the prompter or mover. Obs.
1570R. Ascham Scholem. (Arb.) 69 Som..in Courte were authors that honest Citizens..shoulde watche at euerie gate. 1578Timme Calvin on Gen. 159 Neither will I be the author to give liberty. 1588Shakes. Tit. A. i. i. 435 The Gods..for-fend, I should be Authour to dishonour you! 1656Hobbes Liberty, etc. (1841) 214 Author, is he which owneth an action, or giveth a warrant to do it.
2. spec.
†a. One who begets; a father, an ancestor. Obs. (exc. in author of his being: cf. 1 c.)
c1300K. Alis. 4519 My riches, and my tressours, And alle hath do myn autors. 1660H. Bloome Archit. A b, Tuscanus, who is reported to be the generall Author of the Germans. 1718Pope Iliad vi. 254 The honour'd author of my birth and name. 1823Lamb Elia Ser. i. i. (1865) 9 Old Walter Plumer (his reputed author). 1850Thackeray Pendennis xxvii. (1863) 227 The author of her being, her persecuted..murdered father.
3. a. esp. and absol. One who sets forth written statements; the composer or writer of a treatise or book. (Now often used to include authoress.)
c1380Wyclif Wks. (1880) 267 Ȝif holy writt be fals, certis god autor þer-of is fals. c1385Chaucer L.G.W. 88 Of manye a geste As autourys seyn. 1432–50tr. Higden (1865) I. 7 A tretys, excerpte of diverse labores of auctores. 1509Barclay Shyp of Folys (1874) II. 26 The noble actor plinius. 1578Lyte Dodoens 499 Wherof both Turner and this Aucthor do write. 1678R. Lestrange Seneca's Mor. To Reader, My Choice of the Authour, and of the Subject. 1726Gay Fables i. x, No author ever spar'd a brother; Wits are game-cocks to one another. 1771Burke Corr. (1844) I. 275, I am not the author of Junius, and..I know not the author of that paper. 1818Byron Beppo lxxii, One hates an author that is all author, fellows In foolscap uniforms turned up with ink, So very anxious, clever, fine, and jealous. 1880Sat. Rev. 20 Nov. 653 What size will the author's writings attain when she gets beyond her studies?
b. elliptically put for: An author's writings.
1601Shakes. Twel. N. ii. v. 175, I will reade politicke Authours. 1727Swift To Earl Oxf. Wks. 1755 III. ii. 42 Cheap'ning old authors on a stall. 1759Robertson Hist. Scotl. I. ii. 141 Acquainted with the Greek and Roman authors. 1865Sat. Rev. 5 Aug. 168/1 The names of authors whom they never read.
4. The person on whose authority a statement is made; an authority, an informant. (Usually with poss. pron. ‘my, his author.’) arch. or Obs.
c1384Chaucer H. Fame 314 Non other auttour [v.r. auctour, authour] a-legge I. c1440Partonope 392 That ys french which ys myn auctoure. 1529More Dyaloge 88 b, I wold se a better author therof than such an heretyque as Luther. 1697W. Dampier Voy. (1729) I. 350 Islands that abound with Gold and Cloves, If I may credit my Author Prince Jeoly, who was born on one of them. 1784Reid Let. in Wks. I. 63/2, I suspected that the gentleman who was my author had given some colouring to this story.
†5. One who has authority over others; a director, ruler, commander. Obs.
1382Wyclif Gal. iv. 2 He is under tutours and actouris [v.r. autours; 1388 tutoris; Vulg. auctoribus.]
6. attrib. and in Comb. See also author-craft. Frequent in appos. use.
1711Shaftesbury Charac. (1737) I. 214 To recommend this author-charactor to our future princes. Ibid. 226 Wherever the author-practice and liberty of the pen has..prevail'd. a1806D. Wordsworth Tour Scotland in Jrnls. (1941) I. 297 The author-tourists have quarrelled with the architecture of it. 1830Lamb Corr. cxiii. 317 How comfortable to author-rid folks. 1835Court Mag. VI. 51/1 His peculiarity as an author-actor. 1860Dickens Lett. (1881) III. 195 All through my author life. 1865Macm. Mag. Dec. 156 Author-created visitants. 1898Daily News 21 May 2/2 My friend the author-statesman. 1903Book Lover Sept. 4/1 The author-artist has been as successful with his pen as with his brush. 1905Daily Chron. 16 Dec. 8/5 The brilliant young author-manager. 1909Westm. Gaz. 15 Dec. 1/2 There was only one author-producer in his experience in whose judgment the actor could always trust implicitly. 1922Joyce Ulysses 449 Bloom. Well, I follow a literary occupation. Author-journalist.
†7. The editor of a journal. Obs.
1697Flying Post May 18–20 Printed by T. Snowden..for the Author. 1724Brit. Jrnl. (imprint) London: Printed for T. Warner, at the Black Boy in Pater-Noster-Row, where Advertisements and Letters to the Author are taken in. 1753Jackson's Oxf. Jrnl. i. 5 May ad fin. Printed by W. Jackson in the High-Street, Oxford: By whom Letters to the Author, Articles of News, and Advertisements are taken.
▪ II. author, v.
[f. prec. n.]
1. To be the author of an action; to originate, cause, occasion. Obs. exc. in U.S. use: to be the author or originator of (a book, play, remark, etc.).
1596Chapman Iliad i. 231 The last foul thing Thou ever author'dst. 1602Warner Alb. Eng. xiii. lxxviii. (1612) 322 A good God may not aucthor noysome things. 1632Sir J. Eliot in Four C. Eng. Lett. 65 The divine blessing..which authors all the happiness we receive. 1940Time 15 Apr. 55/2 Her father..authored several successful plays and movies. 1957W. C. Handy Father of Blues xxi. 288 He once authored the famous Ziegfeld Midnight Roof productions. 1959M. Chamberlin Dear Friends & Darling Romans (1960) viii. 182 The saying was authored by some husband. 1967Boston Sunday Herald 30 Apr. vi. 2/6 She has authored a reference book on the Genus Ilex in China.
†2. To be the author of a statement; to state, declare, say. Obs.
1602Warner Alb. Eng. Epit. (1612) 352 Brute is authored to haue arriued in this Iland..in the year of the worlds age 2855. 1632Mass. & Field Fatal Dowry iv. ii, More of him I dare not author. |