dispersed
分散した
解説 Definition
分散したとは、物や人・情報などが広い範囲に散らばって存在している状態を表す形容詞です。一か所に集中せず、複数の場所や方向に広がっていることを意味します。
Dispersed describes people, objects, or substances that are spread over a wide area or separated among several locations rather than concentrated in one place. It can also describe material carried outward by forces such as wind or water.
覚え方のコツ Memory Tip
dispersed は disperse「散らす・散らばる」の過去分詞形で、語末 e に -d を加える。発音は /dɪˈspɜːrst/ で -ed は独立した音節にならず /t/。dis-「離れて」＋「まく」のイメージから、a dispersed population や workforce のように、一か所へ concentrated していない状態を思い浮かべる。
Connect dispersed with the base verb disperse, “to scatter or spread.” Since disperse ends in silent e, its past participle is formed by adding d. In pronunciation, the ending is /t/, not a separate syllable: /dɪˈspɜːrst/. The historical image is of something sown or scattered in different directions. Use that picture for a dispersed population, a geographically dispersed workforce, or seeds dispersed by the wind. Contrast it with concentrated, which gathers many things in one place, and with sparse, which emphasizes low density rather than the act or pattern of spreading.
例文
The dispersed population made it difficult to provide public services efficiently.
分散した人口により、公共サービスを効率的に提供することが困難になった。
Seeds dispersed by the wind can travel hundreds of kilometers.
風によって分散した種は数百キロメートルも飛ぶことがあります。
The company operates with a dispersed workforce spread across multiple countries.
その会社は複数の国に分散した労働力で事業を展開しています。
dispersed の類義語・関連語
dispersed の語源・成り立ち Etymology
ラテン語 dispersus（dis-「離れて」+ spargere「まく」）が語源。種を四方にまき散らすイメージから「分散した」の意味に。関連語: sparse（まばらな）、aspersion（中傷＝泥をまき散らす）。語根 spargere は「ばらまく」が核心。
Dispersed is the past participle of disperse, from Latin dispersus, the past participle of dispergere. That verb combines dis-, “apart” or “in different directions,” with spargere, “to scatter or sprinkle.” The literal image is of material being scattered broadly, like seeds cast in several directions. English extended this physical sense to people, organizations, and information distributed across many places. Sparse is historically connected with the same Latin family of scattering.
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