英语词汇born to the purple的起源、历史背景-英语词源词典

born to the purple. From earliest times purple has been the color of kings, especially Tyrian purple, a color yielded by a species of Murex shellfish. But the expression born to the pur- ple, or “born of royal parentage,” doesn’t have its origins in the purple robes of royalty. It really derives from an ancient Byzan- tine custom that dictated that the empress give birth to her royal child in a lavishly appointed special chamber called the Por- phyra, whose walls were lined with royal purple porphyry. The Greeks had a word for such a royal birth, porphyrogenitus (from porphyra, “purple,” and gennetos, “born”), which translates di- rectly as “born in the purple.” Today the expression is born to the purple, and it is used to describe anyone of exalted birth, not necessarily royalty, or anyone born rich.

词汇	born to the purple
词源	born to the purple. From earliest times purple has been the color of kings, especially Tyrian purple, a color yielded by a species of Murex shellfish. But the expression born to the pur- ple, or “born of royal parentage,” doesn’t have its origins in the purple robes of royalty. It really derives from an ancient Byzan- tine custom that dictated that the empress give birth to her royal child in a lavishly appointed special chamber called the Por- phyra, whose walls were lined with royal purple porphyry. The Greeks had a word for such a royal birth, porphyrogenitus (from porphyra, “purple,” and gennetos, “born”), which translates di- rectly as “born in the purple.” Today the expression is born to the purple, and it is used to describe anyone of exalted birth, not necessarily royalty, or anyone born rich.
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