bitch
雌犬
覚え方のコツ Memory Tip
bitch の本来の具体的意味は「雌犬」で、動物の性別を区別する場面では dog の対語として使われます。ただし、人に向けると非常に攻撃的な侮辱語になり得るため、日常会話では避けるのが安全です。繁殖・獣医学の文脈では pregnant bitch など、文字どおりの用法があります。
Learn the oldest and literal sense first: a bitch is a female dog, just as a mare is a female horse. This meaning still appears in dog breeding, veterinary medicine, and zoology, where the animal’s sex must be stated precisely. However, the word later developed a strongly insulting use for people. Because that figurative sense is offensive and often misogynistic, avoid using the word about a person. In ordinary conversation about pets, female dog is usually clearer and safer, while the technical term remains common in specialist contexts.
bitch の類義語・関連語
bitch の語源・成り立ち Etymology
古英語 bicce「雌犬」に由来し、さらに古ノルド語 bikkjuna と結びつけられますが、起源自体は不明です。まず動物名が先にあり、そこから侮蔑的な比喩用法が広がりました。関連語は bitchy、bitching。
Bitch comes from Old English bicce, meaning a female dog. It is related to forms in other Germanic languages, including Old Norse bikkja, but its deeper origin is uncertain. The animal term is historically earlier than its figurative uses. During later stages of English, it began to be applied abusively to people, especially women, and developed additional vulgar or hostile senses. Bitchy and bitching are later derivatives, though their meanings and tone vary by context.
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