deprave 復習

　An Uzbek immigrant has been charged by US prosecutors with causing the deaths of at least eight people in New York by mowing them down in a truck.
　Sayfullo Saipov, 29, is also accused of providing material support and resources to Islamic State (IS) group.
　He was shot and injured by police at the scene of the attack, and received treatment in hospital.
　Prosecutors say Saipov spoke freely to them, waiving his right to avoid self-incrimination while in custody. …
　Governor Andrew Cuomo said: "He is a depraved coward, is what he is, and he was associated with Isis, and he was radicalised domestically."
　Mr Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio also suggested New York's strict gun control laws had ensured that high-powered weapons could not get into the hands of terrorists. (Skip the rest)

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-41835266

　今回取り上げる語は、deprave /dɪpréɪv/ です。
　まず意味を確認します。『ジーニアス英和大辞典』(大修館)でみると、「[動](1)悪化させる、(道徳的に)堕落させる、(2)<腐>中傷する」とあります。今回の記事にある depraved はこの形容詞形で「(道徳的に)堕落した、邪悪な」という意味になります。今回の記事では、「堕落した臆病者」という意味で使われています。
　次に語源を確認します。Oxford Dictionary of English (2nd Edition Revised)をみると、“late Middle English (in the sense ‘pervert the meaning or intention of something’): from Old French depraver or Latin depravare, from de- ‘down, thoroughly’ + pravus ‘crooked, perverse’” あります。
　最後にこの語の類語に、corrupt や pervert があります。以前書かれた記事も参照してみてください。(OkaUchi)

Reference
・shocking and depraved　http://d.hatena.ne.jp/A30/20140821/1408579816