cur
野良犬
覚え方のコツ Memory Tip
cur は現代では古風で侮蔑的な響きを持ち、飼い主のいない犬、雑種犬、攻撃的で価値が低いと見なされた犬を指します。stray dog より感情的な軽蔑が強い点が重要です。古い物語で唸る犬を追い払う場面や、卑劣な人への罵倒として使われる場面と結び付けましょう。
Cur is not a neutral everyday word for a dog. It carries an old-fashioned, contemptuous tone and may describe a stray, bad-tempered, mixed-breed, or supposedly worthless dog. Compare it with stray dog, which simply says that the animal is roaming without an owner and does not automatically express disgust. In older stories, imagine a snarling dog being driven away as a cur. The same contempt explains the transferred use for a cowardly or despicable person. Remember the emotional tone as carefully as the basic meaning, since using cur for a real dog or person can sound insulting.
cur の類義語・関連語
cur の語源・成り立ち Etymology
語源は中英語で、犬の不機嫌な唸り声を模した擬音語に由来します。これ自体が独立した語根であり、派生語にcurrish（卑怯な）があります。不快な鳴き声のイメージから雑種犬や野良犬を指すようになり、さらに人への蔑称へ拡大した語義の変化がよくわかります。
Cur has been used in English since the Middle English period for a low-value or aggressive dog. Its deeper origin is uncertain, and proposals connecting it directly with a growling sound are suggestive rather than firmly proven. From the unfavorable associations of such dogs, the noun developed into an insult for a contemptible or cowardly person. The adjective currish, meaning snarling, ill-tempered, or contemptibly cowardly, was formed from cur with the suffix -ish.
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