Micawberlyとは 意味・読み方・使い方

語源

From Micawber +‎ -ly (suffix forming adjectives from nouns, having the sense of ‘behaving like, または having a nature typical of [what is denoted by the noun]’) (see origin of name there), from the character Wilkins Micawber – noted for his naive optimism, always confident that “something will turn up”^[1] – in David Copperfield (1849–1850) by the English author Charles Dickens (1812–1870).

発音

• (Received 発音) IPA^(key): /mɪˈkɔːbəli/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /mɪˈkɔbɚli/, /məˈkɑ-/
• ハイフネーション: Mi‧caw‧ber‧ly

副詞

Micawberly (comparative more Micawberly, superlative most Micawberly)

1. in an upbeat and optimistic way, in the face of seemingly hopeless circumstances
   • 1872, Adeline Dutton Train Whitney, Sights and Insights: Patience Strong's Story of Over the Way, volume 1, J.R. Osgood & Company, published 1876, page 151:

     […] not growing a single spiritual inch, for putting forth his powers as a man should; just amiably Micawbering along, and most Micawberly devoted to somebody he would like well enough to marry when the times comes and things "turn up;" […]

   • 1875 January 31, “Grand Duke Alexis”, in Galveston Daily News‎^[1], archived from the original on 5 March 2016, page 1, column 2 (bottom):

     The marriage of Grand Duke Alexis in his proper station in life is indefinitely postponed, and Count Shouvalod and his imperial master must wait, Micawberly, for something to turn up.

   • 1995, William A. Senior, Stephen R. Donaldson's Chronicles of Thomas Covenant: Variations on the Fantasy Tradition, Kent State University Press, page 176:

     Covenant doggedly searches for a way out of his predicament and vows to keep moving in the hopes that, macabrely (as opposed to Micawberly) put, something will turn up.

関連する語

参照

Further reading

• Wilkins Micawber on Wikipedia.