chaparral(n.)
"茂密的、低矮的灌木丛," 始于1850年的美国英语,来自西班牙语 chaparro "常青橡树",也许源自巴斯克语 txapar "小灌木丛",其源自 sapar "荒野、丛林"的小词。
In Spain, a chaparral is a bush of a species of oak. The termination al signifies a place abounding in; as, chaparral, a place of oak-bushes, almendral, an almond orchard; parral, a vineyard; cafetal, a coffee plantation, etc., etc.
This word, chaparral, has been introduced into the language since our acquisition of Texas and New Mexico, where these bushes abound. It is a series of thickets, of various sizes, from one hundred yards to a mile through, with bushes and briars, all covered with thorns, and so closely entwined together as almost to prevent the passage of any thing larger than a wolf or hare. [John Russell Bartlett, "Dictionary of Americanisms," 1859]
在西班牙, chaparral 是某一物种橡树的灌木。词尾 al 表示 a place abounding in ; 例如, chaparral,橡树丛地, almendral,杏园, parral,葡萄园, cafetal,咖啡园等等。
这个词, chaparral,自我们收购了德克萨斯州和新墨西哥州,并在这些州狂生的灌木丛被引入了语言。它是一系列大小不一、长度从一百码到一英里不等的灌木丛,其中都长满了带刺的灌木和荆棘,它们纠缠在一起,几乎阻止任何比狼或野兔更大的东西通过。[约翰·拉塞尔·巴特莱特,“美国习语词典”,1859年]
该词起源时间:1850年