英语词汇left-handed compliment的起源、历史背景-英语词源词典

left-handed compliment. The expression left-handed com- pliment, “a thinly disguised insult that poses as praise,” appar- ently has its origins in the practice of morganatic marriage widely prevalent among German royalty in the Middle Ages and even practiced in modern times—Archduke Francis Ferdi- nand and his wife, who were both killed in the assassination that set off World War I, were married morganatically. These were usually marriages between royalty and commoners, the commoner agreeing that she would have no claim to her royal husband’s title or property, nor would any children of the marriage—all she received was a morning gift (from the Latin morganaticum) on the morning after the marriage was con- summated. In the special wedding ceremony held for these marriages, common up to the 17th century, the groom gave the bride his left hand instead of his right and thus morganatic marriages came to be known as left-handed marriages. Since they were a thinly disguised insult, it is possible that they later lent their name to the deceptive left-handed compliment. See right.

词汇	left-handed compliment
词源	left-handed compliment. The expression left-handed com- pliment, “a thinly disguised insult that poses as praise,” appar- ently has its origins in the practice of morganatic marriage widely prevalent among German royalty in the Middle Ages and even practiced in modern times—Archduke Francis Ferdi- nand and his wife, who were both killed in the assassination that set off World War I, were married morganatically. These were usually marriages between royalty and commoners, the commoner agreeing that she would have no claim to her royal husband’s title or property, nor would any children of the marriage—all she received was a morning gift (from the Latin morganaticum) on the morning after the marriage was con- summated. In the special wedding ceremony held for these marriages, common up to the 17th century, the groom gave the bride his left hand instead of his right and thus morganatic marriages came to be known as left-handed marriages. Since they were a thinly disguised insult, it is possible that they later lent their name to the deceptive left-handed compliment. See right.
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