leprechaunとは 意味・読み方・使い方

語源

From Irish leipreachán, luprachán, from Middle Irish luchrupán, from Old Irish luchorpán. See also Irish lucharachán.

The word's further etymology is disputed; it is traditionally explained as a compound containing lú (“small”, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁lengʷʰ-) +‎ corp (“body”, which is from Latin corpus). However, an alternative suggestion is that it is a derivative of Latin Lupercī (“priests of Lupercus”), who were misinterpreted as an antediluvian species by medieval Irish scholars.

発音

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA: /ˈlɛpɹəkɔːn/
• (米国発音) IPA: /ˈlɛpɹəˌkɔn/, /ˈlɛpɹəˌkɑn/

名詞

leprechaun (plural leprechauns)

1. (Irish folklore) One of a race of elves that can reveal hidden treasure to those who catch them.
   • 1888, William Allingham, “The Lepracaun; or Fairy Shoemaker”, in William Butler Yeats, editor, Irish Fairy and Folk Tales, pages 86–87:

     Do you not catch the tiny clamour, / Busy click of an elfin hammer, / Voice of the leprechaun singing shrill, / As he merrily plies his trade?

派生語

派生した語

• → German: Leprechaun
• → Italian: leprecauno, leprechaun (unadapted), leprecano, lepricauno
• → Japanese: レプラコーン (repurakōn)
• → Korean: 레프러콘 (repeureokon)
• → Portuguese: leprechaun
• → Russian: лепреко́н (leprekón)
• → Spanish: leprechaun

参照

Further reading

• leprechaun on Wikipedia.Wikipedia