a bone of contention
争いの種
解説 Definition
人々の間で争いや論争の原因となっている事柄。争いそのものではなく、意見の対立を生む問題や争点を指します。
A bone of contention is a subject or issue that causes disagreement or argument. It is used for something that people continue to dispute over time. The phrase often refers to the main point of conflict in a discussion or relationship.
使い方 Usage
- be a bone of contention between A and B で「AとBの間の争いの種である」。集団内の対立には among を使う形もあります。 Use be a bone of contention between A and B for an issue causing disagreement between two parties. Among can describe disagreement within a group.
- become a bone of contention は「争いの種になる」、remain a bone of contention は「争いの種のままである」と表します。 Become a bone of contention means to turn into a disputed issue. Remain a bone of contention means to continue causing disagreement.
覚え方のコツ Memory Tip
二匹の犬が一本の骨を取り合う場面を思い浮かべましょう。その骨が「争いの種」です。contention を contend（争う）と結び付けると覚えやすくなります。
Picture two dogs fighting over one bone. The bone represents the issue causing the argument. Connect contention with contend, meaning to struggle or argue.
例文
The inheritance has been a bone of contention between the siblings for years.
遺産は何年もの間、兄弟間の争いの種となっています。
The border dispute remains a bone of contention between the two neighboring countries.
国境をめぐる問題は、今も隣国同士の争いの種となっています。
The allocation of parking spaces became a bone of contention among the office workers.
駐車スペースの配分が、会社員たちの間で争いの種になりました。
a bone of contention の類義語・関連語
a bone of contention の語源・成り立ち Etymology
bone は古英語 ban、contention はラテン語 contentio に由来し、con-「共に」+ tendere「張る」が核です。犬どうしが一本の骨を奪い合う絵から、「争点」「もめ事の種」が腑に落ちます。関連語は contend、tension。
Bone is from Old English ban, while contention comes from Latin contentio. That Latin noun is related to contendere, from con- "together" and tendere "to stretch," giving the idea of people straining against each other. The full phrase likely comes from the image of animals fighting over one bone, and so it came to mean the cause of a dispute. Related words include contend and tension.
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