英语词汇sardonic的起源、历史背景-英语词源词典

sardonic. A sardonic person might be called a dead one, in- side and out. The ancient Greeks believed that the sardone (herba Sardonia in Latin), a poisonous plant native to Sardinia that gave the island its name, was so deadly that anyone un- lucky or foolish enough to eat it would immediately succumb to its effects. Victims were said to literally die laughing, going into convulsions, their final contorted expressions after these death throes resembling bitter, scornful grins. The Greeks called their last bitter appearance of laughter Sardonios gelos, “Sardinian laughter,” Sardo being their name for the island. Sar- donios gelos became the French rire sardonique, this resulting in our sardonic laughter and sardonic, laughter or humor char- acterized by bitter or scornful derision.

词汇	sardonic
词源	sardonic. A sardonic person might be called a dead one, in- side and out. The ancient Greeks believed that the sardone (herba Sardonia in Latin), a poisonous plant native to Sardinia that gave the island its name, was so deadly that anyone un- lucky or foolish enough to eat it would immediately succumb to its effects. Victims were said to literally die laughing, going into convulsions, their final contorted expressions after these death throes resembling bitter, scornful grins. The Greeks called their last bitter appearance of laughter Sardonios gelos, “Sardinian laughter,” Sardo being their name for the island. Sar- donios gelos became the French rire sardonique, this resulting in our sardonic laughter and sardonic, laughter or humor char- acterized by bitter or scornful derision.
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