Boeotian(adj.)
“ignorant, dull,” 1590年代,来自 Boeotia,古希腊底比斯周围的地区(据说因其牛放牧而被称为“牛区”; 来自希腊语 bous “牛”,源自 PIE 词根 *gwou- “公牛,母牛”),其居民被邻国雅典人以谚语形式描述为愚钝和乡土气息,雅典人认为底比斯是“一个无望追赶时代的地方,一个缓慢的地方,正如敏捷的雅典人所说,鳗鱼的气候很好,但对大脑不利”[B.L. Gildersleeve,“Pindar:The Olympian and Pythian Odes”]。底比斯人可能持有相反的观点,但他们的伟大作家普鲁塔克和品达,虽然是爱国者,但对雅典的事迹和制度充满赞扬。
Though his aim was to vindicate Boeotia, [Pindar] has probably done her a disservice, in that he has helped to immortalise the scurrilous proverb Βοιωτία ύς [Boeotian swine], which he wished to confute. ... If left to itself, the slander might have passed into oblivion long ago. [W. Rhys Roberts, "The Ancient Boeotians," 1895]
尽管他的目的是为了辩护底比斯,[品达]可能会给她带来损害,因为他已经帮助使恶意的谚语Βοιωτία ύς [底比斯猪]永垂不朽,而他希望驳斥这一谚语。...如果让它自生自灭,这种诽谤可能早就被遗忘了。[W. Rhys Roberts,“The Ancient Boeotians”,1895]
该词起源时间:1590年代