pica(n.1)
pica(n.2)
1560年代,“对不适合食用的物质(如白垩)的病态渴望”,源自中世纪拉丁语 pica “喜鹊”(见 pie(n.2)),可能翻译自希腊语 kissa, kitta “喜鹊,松鸦”,也指“虚假的食欲”。连接概念可能是鸟类的不加区分的进食。比较 geophagy。
As the magpie eats young birds, here is the bird to keep the sparrows' numbers in check, for it will live in towns and close to dwellings—just the localities sparrows frequent. The magpie's appetite is omnivorous, and it is charged with at times killing weakly lambs, and varying its diet by partaking of grain and fruit; but I never at Home heard any complaints of this bird from the farmers, whilst the gamekeepers had not a good word for it. The bird will eat carrion, so if one were disturbed taking a meal from a dead lamb it would probably be blamed for its death, which may have occurred from natural causes. [A. Bathgate, "The Sparrow Plague and its Remedy," in Transactions of the New Zealand Institute, 1903]
由于喜鹊会吃幼鸟,所以这是一种可以控制麻雀数量的鸟类,因为它会生活在城镇和靠近住宅的地方——正是麻雀经常出没的地方。喜鹊的食欲是杂食性的,有时会袭击虚弱的小羊,并通过食用谷物和水果来改变其饮食; 但我从未听说过农民对这种鸟有任何抱怨,而养鸟人对它并不满意。这种鸟会吃腐肉,所以如果有人打扰它从死羊身上吃饭,它可能会因其死亡而受到指责,而这可能是由于自然原因导致的。[A. Bathgate,“麻雀瘟疫及其解决方法”,见《新西兰学会交易》,1903年]
该词起源时间:1560年代