Singaporean Mandarin Database

This database contains a collection of Mandarin terms which have cultural, historical or sentimental value unique to Singapore. These terms may be used by Singaporeans in the past or at present. Some of the terms are read in print while others are used in our everyday conversations.

cí

wēi

female power

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female power

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社会

Social

释义

名词

女性显示出的使人敬畏的气势。

DEFINITION

Noun

The awe-inspiring power exhibited by women.

由来
  • “雌威” 由 “雄威” 一词延伸出来。“雌雄” 本义分别指母鸟和公鸟,引申为女性和男性,因此在形容女性的威风时便以 “雌威” 替代 “雄威”。
  • “雌威” 一般用来指发怒的状态。《汉语大词典》中提到此词含有鄙视意。然而,“雌威” 在新加坡的使用语境中属于中性词。
ETYMOLOGY
  • The term “雌威” (female power) is derived from the term “雄威” (male power). The original meaning of “雌雄” (female and male) refers to female and male birds respectively, hence the term “雌威” was used as a replacement of “雄威” when describing the power of women.
  • The term “雌威” is generally used to refer to a state of anger. The term has a negative connotation in Hanyu Da Cidian). However, the term “雌威” is used in the Singaporean context with a neutral connotation.

 

例句
女准医生搭地铁回家,冷不防被男子摸臀非礼,她大发雌威,把男子押送给工作人员报警,涉案男子罪成后今早被判坐牢五个月。(《联合晚报》, 8/6/2018)
SAMPLE SENTENCE
A female doctor in training was on the Mass Rapid Transit back home when she was groped by a man. She exhibited her female power and brought the man to the staff to report him to the police. The man was convicted and sentenced to five months imprisonment this morning. (Lianhe Wanbao, 8/6/2018)
相关资料

  • 雌威一词于清末民初时期的章回小说中就已使用,例如蔡东藩《五代史演义》20回中便提到:“诸酋长素惮雌威,瞧着述律后形状,已经窥测意旨”。

RELATED INFORMATION

  • The term "雌威" was already used in novels of the late Qing Dynasty and the early years of the Republic of China. For example, in Chapter 20 of Cai Dongfan’s Romance of the Five Dynasties , he wrote, “The chiefs have always been afraid of female power, and they already understood the meaning when they saw the law being established thereafter.”

参考资料
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