地形
解説 Definition
地面や土地の高低や形状のことです。山や谷などの自然の地形、または人工的に作られた地形を指します。
Terrain means the physical features and shape of a piece of land. It is often used when talking about travel, hiking, military activity, or geography. The word helps describe whether land is flat, rough, mountainous, and so on.
覚え方のコツ Memory Tip
terrain は land や ground よりも、「土地の起伏や状態」に意識が向く語です。山道・砂漠・岩場など、歩きやすさや進みにくさを語る場面でよく出ます。rough terrain, mountainous terrain, difficult terrain の形で覚えると定着しやすいです。territory が「領土」、terrestrial が「地上の」なので、terr- を見たらまず「土地まわり」とつなげると意味を拾いやすくなります。
Think of terrain as the shape and condition of land, not just land itself. It is common when talking about how easy or hard a place is to cross, like rough terrain or mountainous terrain. The beginning terr- also appears in territory and terrestrial, so it can remind you of land. That word family is a useful memory hook.
例文
The mountainous terrain makes travel difficult.
その山岳地形は旅を困難にしています。
The terrain in this region is very rocky.
この地域の地形は非常に岩石が多いです。
The army studied the terrain before battle.
軍隊は戦いの前に地形を研究しました。
terrain の類義語・関連語
terrain の語源・成り立ち Etymology
terrain はフランス語 terrain を経て、ラテン語 terra「大地・土地」にさかのぼります。核にある terr- は「地面」で、山地や平地の違いをまとめて「土地の表情」と見た語だと分かると、地形の意味が腑に落ちます。terrestrial や territory も同じ語根です。
Terrain came into English from French terrain, which goes back to Latin terra, meaning "earth" or "land." The root terr- is about the ground itself. Over time, the word came to mean the physical character of land, such as its shape and surface; terrestrial and territory share the same root.
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