defector
亡命者
解説 Definition
政治的な理由で自分の国を離れた人、またはグループを離れた人のこと。通常、危険から逃れるために国を去る。背景にはしばしば政治的な対立がある。
A defector is a person who leaves their own country, side, or organization to join another one, often for political reasons. The word is common in news and history, especially during times of conflict. It usually suggests a clear break in loyalty.
覚え方のコツ Memory Tip
まず defect を「欠陥」だけで終わらせず、動詞 defect from A / defect to B（陣営を抜けて相手側へ移る）で覚えると defector が自然に入ります。-or は actor と同じく「その人」。immigrant や refugee が移住・避難を表すのに対し、defector は政治体制・軍・組織を離反して別側へ移る響きが強い語。Soviet defector, defect to the West のようなニュース表現と結びつけると、単なる国外脱出ではない感覚が残ります。
Learn the verb pattern first: `defect from` one side and `defect to` another side. Then `defector` is simply the person who does that, with `-or` meaning "person," like in `actor`. This word is common in political or military news, which helps fix its tone.
例文
The defector revealed secrets about the government.
亡命者は政府の秘密を暴露した。
Many defectors fled the country and sought asylum during the war.
戦争中、多くの亡命者が国を逃れ、亡命を求めた。
The general became a defector and fled with sensitive documents.
その将軍は亡命者となり、機密文書を持って逃げた。
defector の類義語・関連語
defector の語源・成り立ち Etymology
defector は defect「離反する」+ -or「人」。defect はラテン語 deficere（de-「離れて」+ facere「する」）にさかのぼり、務めや陣営から抜ける感覚が核です。defect, deficient も同根で、体制から離脱した人が「亡命者」だと見えてきます。
Defector is built from defect and the ending -or, meaning a person who does something. Defect comes from Latin deficere, made of de- "away" and facere "to do," so the basic idea was to fail or withdraw. From that sense of breaking away from duty or a side, defector came to mean someone who leaves a country, group, or cause; deficient is from the same root.
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