| 释义 |
childhood also † childhead.|ˈtʃaɪldhʊd|
Forms: α. 1 cildhád, 2–3 childhade, 3–5 -hode, 4 -hod, 4–6 chyld(e)hode, 5 -hodde, 5–6 childehode, 6–7 child-hood, 7 -hoode, 6– childhood. β. 3–5 childhede, 4 -hed, 4–5 childehede, 5 chyldhede, 6– head, Sc. child-, chyldheid, (9 (nonce-use) childhead).
[OE. cildhád, f. cild, child + hád state, condition. For the history of the variant suffixes, see -head, -hood.]
1. The state or stage of life of a child; the time during which one is a child; the time from birth to puberty. (Formerly with pl.)
αc950Lindisf. Gosp. Mark ix. 21 Soð he cuoeð from cildhad. 1205Lay. 20311 He cuðen harpien wel an his child-haden. a1225Leg. Kath. 79 Ðis meiden was baðe faderles & moderles of hire childhade. 1398Trevisa Barth. De P.R. vi. i. (1495) 186 The fyrste chyldhode is wythout teeth..and durith vij monthes. 1535Coverdale Eccles. xii. 1 Childehode and youth is but vanite. 1567Mulcaster Fortescue's De Laud. Leg. (1572) 107 Other Lords..in their childhood..are brought up in the Kings house. 1596Spenser State Irel. Wks. (1862) 553/1 Trayned up therein from their child-hoods. 1611Shakes. Wint. T. i. i. 25. 1646 J. Hall Horæ Vac. 35 Others..understand the Scriptures from their Childhoods. 1872E. Peacock Mabel Heron I. i. 2 They had passed an unhappy childhood.
βa1300Cursor M. 28500 (Cott.) In mi child-hede haf i wroght many thyng þat i aght noght. c1386Chaucer Prioress' T. 49 To synge and to rede, As smale childer doon in her childhede. 1489Caxton Faytes of A. i. xxii. 69 From theyre chyldhede men taughte hem the vse of armes. 1588A. King tr. Canisius' Catech. 173 b, Fra my childheid pietie grew with me.
b. fig. (Cf. infancy.)
1585Jas. I. Ess. Poesie (Arb.) 54 It [Poesie] was bot in the infancie and chyldheid. 1592Shakes. Rom. & Jul. iii. iii. 95 Now I haue stain'd the Childhood of our ioy. 1856Whittier Brew. Soma i, In the childhood of the world.
2. concr. This state or age personified. Cf. youth.
1605Shakes. Macb. ii. ii. 54 'Tis the Eye of Child-hood, That feares a painted Deuill. 1742Gray Ode Eton Coll. ii, Ah fields..Where once my careless childhood stray'd. 1814Scott Wav. iii, The well-governed childhood of this realm. a1839Praed Poems (1864) I. 321 Fair Childhood hard at play.
†3. Quality proper to a child, childishness. Obs.
c1175Lamb. Hom. (1867) 161 Mest al þet ich habbe idon bi-fealt to child-hade. c1250Gen. & Ex. 2652 We sulen nu witen for it dede Ðis witterlike, or in child-hede. 1393Gower Conf. I. 219 She upon childehod him tolde, That Perse her litel hounde is dede. a1420Hoccleve De Reg. Princ. 74 Considerethe how that endityng..not accorde may Withe my childhode, I am so childisshe ay.
¶ For this sense app. the form childhead is used in the following (perh. by assoc. with maidenhead):
1854S. Dobell Balder iii, The unconscious child—Tho', for his childhead, he be special child—Is universal man.
†b. (with pl.) A childish action. Obs.
c1314Guy Warw. (1840) 163 Ich dede gret childhod That alto long y ther abod. c1340Cursor M. 12577 (Trin. MS.) Mony are his childehedes..Done ar he were twelue ȝeer olde. 1340Ayenb. 166 Þet lyeseþ hare time..ine fole pleȝes, ine childehedes, ine liȝthedes, ine zonges.
4. second childhood: the state of childishness incident to extreme old age; dotage.
[c1400Rom. Rose 399 She..turned ageyn unto childhede.] 1641J. Jackson True Evang. T. ii. 113 S. John..died in his second childhood at Ephesus. 1789H. Walpole Remin. ix. 76. 1833 Marryat P. Simple xxxix, Lord Privilege..was fast verging to a state of second childhood.
†5. = childship; filial relation. Obs.
1605Shakes. Lear ii. iv. 181 Thou better know'st The Offices of Nature, bond of Childhood. 1609R. Barnerd Sheph. Practise 18 Many discents doe not extinguish fatherhood and childhood in consanguinitie. a1626Bacon Max. & Uses Com. Law 27 The custome of Kent, that every male of equall degree of childhood, brotherhood, or kindred, shall inherit equally.
6. attrib.
1590Shakes. Mids. N. iii. ii. 202 All schooledaies friendship, child-hood innocence. 1869Sir J. T. Coleridge Mem. Keble 312 Their childhood sports. |