petting
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解説 Definition
petting は pet（なでる、かわいがる）の動名詞・現在分詞で、名詞としては「なでること」という意味です。主に動物を手でやさしくなでる行為を表します。
The act of gently touching or stroking an animal with the hand to show affection, comfort it, or interact with it. It is the gerund or present-participle form of the verb pet.
覚え方のコツ Memory Tip
petting は pet「動物をやさしくなでる」に -ing を付けた形。短母音＋子音字 t で終わるため t を重ねて petting と綴る。gentle petting「やさしくなでること」、petting a cat「猫をなでること」で覚える。文脈によって親密な愛撫も表すが、ここでは主に動物を手でなでる行為を指す。
Start with the verb pet, meaning to stroke an animal gently, and add -ing to name or describe the action. The final t is doubled because pet has a short stressed vowel followed by a single consonant: pet becomes petting. Remember phrases such as gentle petting and petting the cat. Imagine a calm dog enjoying slow strokes along its back. In some adult contexts petting can refer to intimate touching, but animal-related words such as dog, cat, zoo, or gentle usually make the intended meaning clear.
例文
The dog enjoys gentle petting.
その犬はやさしくなでられるのが好きです。
Petting the cat calmed the child.
猫をなでると、その子は落ち着きました。
The sign says that petting the animals is allowed.
その看板には、動物をなでてもよいと書かれています。
petting の類義語・関連語
petting の語源・成り立ち Etymology
語源は16世紀スコットランド語で「大切にされる家畜や子供」を指す言葉に由来します。接尾辞-ingが動作を名詞化しています。同語根のpet（愛玩動物）やpet name（愛称）からも「特別に愛する対象を優しく扱う」という意味が納得できます。
Petting is formed from the verb pet plus the suffix -ing, with the final t doubled according to the usual spelling rule. Pet was first recorded in Scots and northern English for an indulged child or a cherished domestic animal. The noun later produced the verb meaning “to treat fondly” and then “to stroke affectionately.” The -ing form can function as a noun, a gerund, or a participle.
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