英语词汇loophole的起源、历史背景-英语词源词典

loophole. Medieval castles and other fortifications were often built with narrow windows that widened inward but were no more than vertical slits on the outside. Enemy archers found these defensive positions difficult targets, but archers behind the windows had ample room to fire on attackers. Called loop- holes from the old word loop for “a narrow window,” these win- dows became obsolete when the invention of gunpowder made castles and city walls unimportant in warfare, but the word came to represent an outlet or way to escape, a purpose loop- holes had never really served. By the 17th century, writers were using loophole to signify a narrow way out and today we associ- ate the word with a clever, tricky way out of a situation, espe- cially in regard to evading a law.

词汇	loophole
词源	loophole. Medieval castles and other fortifications were often built with narrow windows that widened inward but were no more than vertical slits on the outside. Enemy archers found these defensive positions difficult targets, but archers behind the windows had ample room to fire on attackers. Called loop- holes from the old word loop for “a narrow window,” these win- dows became obsolete when the invention of gunpowder made castles and city walls unimportant in warfare, but the word came to represent an outlet or way to escape, a purpose loop- holes had never really served. By the 17th century, writers were using loophole to signify a narrow way out and today we associ- ate the word with a clever, tricky way out of a situation, espe- cially in regard to evading a law.
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