torso
The US Air Force has said it is investigating its apparent failure to enter information about Texas shooter Devin Patrick Kelley's past criminal history into the national database.
Ex-airman Kelly was court-martialled for domestic violence in 2012, and was barred from owning or buying guns.
But last year he was able to purchase a rifle he used in Sunday's attack on a small church outside San Antonio.
He killed 26 people and fled the scene. He was later found dead in his car.
Police said he died from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound after being chased by armed bystanders.
Kelley was also shot in his leg and torso by a citizen, the regional director for the Texas Department of Public Safety, Freeman Martin, was quoted as saying by the Associated Press. (Skip the rest)
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-41895695
今回取り上げる語は、torso /tɔ́ːrsoʊ (米)/ です。この語は彫刻や陸上競技の専門用語で使われ、「トルソ」と発音されています。しかし、上記のようにアメリカ英語では発音が異なるので注意が必要です。
まず意味を確認します。『ジーニアス英和大辞典』(大修館)をみると、「(1)[彫刻]トルソー<胴部だけの彫刻>、(2)(人体の)胴; [競技]トルソー、(3)未完成[不完全な]作品」とあります。
次に語源を確認します。Oxford Dictionary of English (2nd Edition Revised)をみると、“late 18th cent. : from Italian, literally ‘stalk, stump’, from Latin thyrsus” とあります。この語の語源は thyrsus に関係があるので、こちらも同書で確認すると、“Latin, from Greek thursos ‘plant stalk, Bacchic staff’ ” とありました。どちらも「茎」や「支柱」など「支えるもの」の意味が入っていると考えられます。(OkaUchi)
Reference
・トルソー https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%88%E3%83%AB%E3%82%BD%E3%83%BC