| 释义 |
caitiff, n. and a.|ˈkeɪtɪf|
Forms: α. 4 caitef, -teff, -tyf, -tyue, kaitif, kaytefe, 4–5 caytef, -tif, -tyf, -tyue, kaytiff, (4–6 pl. kaytyves), 4–7 caitife, -tive, caytife, -tive, 4–8 caitif, 5 kaytif(f)e, catyffe, (caistiff), Sc. catif, (pl. keyteyues, caytyveys, catyves), 5–6 kaytyf, 5–7 caytiffe, 6 caytyfe, -ttiue, -tief(e, catif, Sc. catife, -tive, tyue, (pl. Sc. catevis), 6–7 caitiffe, catiffe, (pl. catives), 7 catife, 7– caitiff. β. 4 chaytif, cheitefe, chaitif, 5 chaytyf.
[a. ONF. caitif, caitive, captive, weak, miserable (= Pr. caitiu, captiu, -iva, OCat. captiu, -iva, Sp. cautivo, OSp. captivo, Pg. cativo captive, It. cattivo captive, lewd, bad):—L. captīv-um captive. The central OF. form chaitif (whence mod.F. chétif, -ive, of little value, wretched, sorry, miserable) gave the Eng. variant chaitif, frequent in 14–15th c., but did not displace the earlier Norman form. The transition of meaning has taken place more or less in most of the Romanic langs.]
A. n.
†1. Originally: A captive, a prisoner. Obs.
1330R. Brunne Chron. 172 Galwes do ȝe reise, and hyng þis cheitefe. a1340Hampole Psalter cxxxvi. 3 The deuyl & his aungels led vs caitifs in synne. 1382Wyclif Rom. xvi. 7 Andronyk and Iuliane..myn euene caytifs, or prisoneris. 1449Pecock Repr. 479 Thei..that..leden Wommen Caitifis. 1502Arnolde Chron. 161 In whoos power he is kepte as a kaytyf in myserable seruitude. 1533Bellenden Livy ii. (1822) 164 Thay have led you this day as vincust catives in triumphe. 1603H. Crosse Vertues Commw. (1878) 14 As catiues and slaues bend the will to such inhumane crueltie.
†2. Expressing commiseration: A wretched miserable person, a poor wretch, one in a piteous case. Obs.
c1325Metr. Hom. 31 Hou sal it far of us kaytefes, That in sin and foli lyes. c1386Chaucer Knt.'s T. 859 Tuo woful wrecches been we, and kaytyves. 1480Caxton Chron. Eng. v. (1520) 56/1 Alas sayd he, to us wretches and catyves is sorowe for our greate synnes. a1547Surrey æneid ii. 977 From me catif alas bereued was Creusa then. 1604Shakes. Oth. iv. i. 109 Alas poore Caitiffe. 1631Weever Anc. Fun. Mon. 46 The carcase of the poore caitiffe. 1678Butler Hud. ii. i. 344, I pity'd the sad Punishment The wretched Caitiff underwent.
3. Expressing contempt, and often involving strong moral disapprobation: A base, mean, despicable ‘wretch’, a villain. In early use often not separable from sense 2 (esp. when applied by any one to himself): ‘it often implies a mixture of wickedness and misery’ J.: cf. wretch.
a1300Cursor M. 11815 Þat caitif [Herod] vn-meth and vn-meke Nu bigines he to seke. c1330Amis & Amil. 1564 His wiif..With wordes hard and kene..seyd to him ‘Thou wreche chaitif’. c1400Destr. Troy 10352 As a caiteff, a coward, no knighthode at all. 1481Caxton Reynard (Arb.) 96 He is a foule vylaynous kaytyt. 1509Barclay Ship of Fooles (1570) 173 Another caytife or mischieuous vilayne. 1603Shakes. Meas. for M. v. i. 53 The wickedst caitiffe on the ground. 1632G. Fletcher Christs Vict. i. xvii, That wretch, beast, caytive, monster Man. 1713Swift Frenzy of J. Dennis Wks. 1755 III. i. 144 Caitiffs, stand off, unhand me, miscreants! 1867Freeman Norm. Conq. (1876) I. v. 274 Two caitiffs whose names are handed down to infamy.
¶ Rarely as an error for caitifte: see caitifty. Obs.
a1340Hampole Psalter xiii. 11 Lord has turned away þe caitife of his folke. c1340Cursor M. 7353 (Trin.) Wiþ caitif [Cott. caitiuete] and care.
B. adj.
†1. Captive. Obs.
1382Wyclif Isa. v. 13 Therfor lad caitif is my puple. ― Ephes. iv. 8 He..ledde caitifte caytif, or prysonynge prisoned.
†2. Wretched, miserable. Obs.
a1300Cursor M. 9086 Yee helpe me in þis caitiue cas. 1393Langl. P. Pl. C. xv. 90 Noþer in cote noþer in caytyf hous was crist y-bore. Ibid. xxiii. 236 Þei chosen chile and chaytif pouerte. c1400Rom. Rose 211 Ful sade and caytif was she eek. c1440Promp. Parv. 58 Catyffe, calamitosus, dolorosus. 1583Stanyhurst æneis i. (Arb.) 35 Wee caytiefe Troians, with storms ventositye mangled.
3. Vile, base, mean, basely wicked; worthless, ‘wretched’, ‘miserable’.
a1300Cursor M. 16517 Ded es caitiue iudas nu. c1325E.E. Allit. P. B. 1426 A caytif counsayl he caȝt bi hym seluen. 1483Caxton G. de la Tour A vij, When the chaytyf body hath synned by his fals delytes. 1597Bp. Hall Sat. iv. ii. 120 When Lolioes caytive name is quite defast. 1626T. H. Caussin's Holy Crt. 130 An age so caytiffe, where braue, and courageous magistrates are wanting. 1814Scott Ld. of Isles vi. xxxi, [He] cursed their caitiff fears. 1859Tennyson Enid 35 Bandit earls, and caitiff knights. 1871Browning Balaust. 1804 This or the other caitiff quality. |