ルル
解説 Definition
Lulu は女性名または Louise などの愛称です。一方、小文字の a lulu は、際立ってすごい人・物や並外れた出来事を表す、くだけたやや古風な名詞です。
Lulu is a feminine given name or nickname, often associated with names such as Louise. In informal, somewhat old-fashioned use, a lulu can also mean a person or thing that is striking, remarkable, or exceptionally impressive.
覚え方のコツ Memory Tip
人名なら通常 Lulu と大文字で、Louise などの愛称として使われる。一方、小文字の a lulu は主にくだけた古風な表現で「際立ってすごい人・物」。まず大文字と冠詞を手掛かりにし、Lulu is ... なら名前、That was a lulu なら「並外れたもの」と見分ける。
Use capitalization and sentence structure to separate the two uses. Lulu with a capital L is usually a woman’s name or nickname, historically associated with names such as Louise. By contrast, a lulu with an article is an informal, now somewhat old-fashioned expression for an unusually striking or remarkable person, object, or event. Compare Lulu opened the door with That storm was a lulu. The first identifies someone by name; the second evaluates something as exceptional. Remembering this contrast prevents you from treating every occurrence as either a personal name or a slang description.
例文
Lulu called me yesterday.
ルルが昨日、私に電話をかけてきました。
That storm was a real lulu.
あの嵐は本当にすさまじいものでした。
lulu の類義語・関連語
lulu の語源・成り立ち Etymology
Lulu は Louise などの愛称として用いられてきた女性名です。Louise は Louis の女性形で、Louis はゲルマン語系の「名高い」「戦い」に関係する要素にさかのぼります。英語では19世紀に lulu が「際立った人・物」を表す俗語として現れましたが、その俗語義が成立した正確な経緯は明らかではありません。
Lulu developed as a feminine personal name and pet form, especially of Louise. Louise is the French feminine counterpart of Louis, a name ultimately formed from Germanic elements meaning “famous” and “battle.” In nineteenth-century English, lulu also acquired a slang sense referring to an outstanding or remarkable person or thing. The exact path of that semantic development is not fully certain, so the personal-name and later slang uses are best distinguished by context.
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