changeling background

changeling

/ˈt͡ʃeɪnd͡ʒlɪŋ/

Illustration changeling - Image 1

noun

人さらい

In pre-modern European mythology, an infant that was secretly exchanged for a mother's own baby by an evil creature. (In British, Irish and Scandinavian mythology the exchanged infants were thought to be those of fairies, sprites or trolls; in other places, they were ascribed to witches, devils, or demons.)

Examples :

"Old wives told stories of a neighbor's child being a changeling, claiming that the baby, sickly and strange, had been swapped with a fairy child in the cradle. "

老婆たちは、近所の子供が人さらいだと語り、病弱で奇妙な赤ん坊が揺りかごの中で妖精の子と入れ替わったと主張した。

mythology religion supernatural story tradition culture inhuman

Illustration changeling - Image 1

noun

取り替え子

An infant secretly exchanged with another infant by mistake or by human doing; swapling.

Examples :

"Rumors spread through the village that the sickly baby found on the doorstep was a changeling, swapped for the family's healthy newborn. "

村には、玄関で見つかった病弱な赤ちゃんは、家族の健康な新生児と取り替えられた取り替え子だという噂が広がった。

mythology literature religion family culture supernatural

Illustration changeling - Image 1

noun

人型変化生物

An organism which can change shape to mimic others.

Examples :

"In the science fiction story, the alien was a changeling, able to perfectly copy the appearance of anyone it met. "

SF小説の中で、その異星人は人型変化生物で、出会う誰かの外見を完璧にコピーすることができた。

organism mythology biology supernatural being inhuman literature character animal nature story

Illustration changeling - Image 1

noun

愚か者, ばか者

A simpleton; an idiot.

Examples :

"He acted like a complete changeling, staring blankly when asked simple questions. "

彼はまるで愚か者のように振る舞い、簡単な質問をされたときにはぼうぜんと見つめていた。

character person mind human being

Illustration changeling - Image 1

noun

変わりやすい人、優柔不断な人

One apt to change; a waverer.

Examples :

"Because Sarah couldn't commit to a major, her advisor jokingly called her a changeling, always switching between art, history, and biology. "

サラは専攻を決めることができなかったため、彼女の指導教官は冗談で彼女のことを変わりやすい人だと呼び、常に芸術、歴史、生物学の間を行き来していた。

character person tendency attitude mind