c. 1600, as a term in classical history, from Latin Arianus, Ariana, from Greek Aria, Areia, names applied in classical times to the eastern part of ancient Persia and to its inhabitants. Ancient Persians used the name in reference to themselves (Old Persian ariya-), hence Iran. Ultimately from Sanskrit arya- "compatriot;" in later language "noble, of good family."
Also the name Sanskrit-speaking invaders of India gave themselves in the ancient texts, from which early 19c. European philologists (Friedrich Schlegel, 1819, who linked the word with German Ehre "honor") applied it to the ancient people we now call Indo-Europeans (suspecting that this is what they called themselves); this use is attested in English from 1851. The term fell into the hands of racists, and in German from 1845 it was specifically contrasted to Semitic (Lassen).
German philologist Max Müller (1823-1900) popularized the term in his writings on comparative linguistics, recommending it as the name (replacing Indo-European, Indo-Germanic, Caucasian, Jshortened) for the group of related, inflected languages connected with these peoples, mostly found in Europe but also including Sanskrit and Persian. Arian was used in this sense from 1839 (and is more philologically correct), but this spelling caused confusion with Arian, the term in ecclesiastical history.
Gradually replaced in comparative linguistics c. 1900 by Indo-European, except when used to distinguish Indo-European languages of India from non-Indo-European ones. Used in Nazi ideology to mean "member of a Caucasian Gentile race of Nordic type." As an ethnic designation, however, it is properly limited to Indo-Iranians (most justly to the latter) and has fallen from general academic use since the Nazi era.
雙語例句
1. Only the Basques resisted the conquering Aryan speech.
只有巴斯克語抵制住了雅利安語的征服.
來自辭典例句
2. The Bulgarians also are a Turkish people, but they have acquired an Aryan speech.
保加利亞人也是一個土耳其民族, 不過他們學到的是雅利安語.
來自英漢非文學 - 歷史
3. They all spoke variants of what once must have been the same language, Aryan.
他們說的全是同一種語言的不同變體,以前肯定都屬于印歐語系語言.
來自英漢非文學 - 歷史
4. The actual Huns disappear from history, mixed into the surrounding more numerous Aryan - speaking populations.
現實中的匈奴人從歷史上消失, 融入周圍人數更多的說雅利安語的群體.
來自英漢非文學 - 歷史
5. The first ascertained appearance of the Aryan family was in connection with the domestic animals.