transience 復習
Barely two months after Theresa May announced her “personal mission” to solve England’s housing crisis, her cabinet reshuffle earlier this month was accompanied by an announcement that Sajid Javid’s department is to be renamed the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. This, we’re told, reflects a “renewed focus to deliver more homes.” …
Having a secretary of state for housing would be a meaningful political role in both challenge and opportunity, reducing ministerial transience while attracting the most aspirant and able parliamentarians. If given appropriate power and funding, directing the newly launched Homes England, which brings a range of expertise as the successor body to the Homes and Communities Agency, would also present an opportunity to provide real leadership. Leadership that could provide a lifeline to the million or so households who risk becoming homeless as the effects of housing-related poverty become increasingly acute. (Skip the rest)
今回取り上げる語は、transience /trˈænʃəns/ です。まず意味を確認します。OEDをみると、”The state or fact of lasting only for a short time; transitoriness.” とあり、Collins Dictionary をみると、”If you talk about the transience of a situation, you mean that it lasts only a short time or is constantly changing.” と定義されていました。また、『ウィズダム英和辞典』(研究社)をみると「[かたく]一時的であること、はかなさ」とありました。
次に語源を確認します。この語の語幹である transient を参照します。OEDをみると、”Late 16th century: from Latin transient- ‘going across’, from the verb transire, from trans- ‘across’ + ire ‘go’.“ とあります。(OkaUchi)