- 1
A chatelaine is the woman who owns a castle or large country house in France, or the wife of the man who owns it. She is the lady of that house: the one tied to the place, who receives guests and is seen as its female head. The word is literary and a little old in English. You will meet it in novels, history, and travel writing more than in the street, and it is not a modern job title. Though actually, English also uses chatelaine for a decorative chain worn at the waist to hold keys; that is a different meaning. This entry is the woman of the house, not the chain and not the building itself.
城堡女主人、女領主
組成Borrowed from French châtelaine, the female form of châtelain (a castle-keeper; someone living in a castle), from Medieval Latin castellanus (occupants of a castle), from castellum (castle, fort), a smaller form of castrum (castle, fort), from an older root meaning “to cut off, separate.” By surface analysis, Old French chatel + French -aine.
原始詞典資料3 筆記錄
以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，原文照列，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。
chatelainenoun/ˈʃætəleɪn/
- 1
datedThe mistress of a castle or large household.
- Gerard returned safely to his native land, and in the fantastic spirit of the times, he approached his own castle disguised as a pilgrim, intending to himself and his Chatelaine, the delight of a romantic surprise. […] He accordingly repaired, in the silent hour of midnight, when the castle was wrapped in sleep, to the well-remembered chamber of the Chatelaine. She was not alone. A handsome young page supplied the place of her long-absent lord. In the excess of his rage, Gerard killed his wife on the spot, but reserved the page for a more lingering revenge.
- [A] detachment of the Imperial army, under Francis Wesselény, was ordered to attack the castle. Having made the most elaborate preparations, he summoned the garrison to surrender; the refusal was haughty and uncompromising, and, to the surprise of Wesselény, dictated by the Chatelaine herself, who personally conducted its defence. To be foiled by a woman, little suited his proud nature; but all efforts to effect a breach in the massive walls of the stronghold were ineffectual, and every attack gallantly repulsed.
- 2
historicalA chain or clasp worn at the waist by women with handkerchief, keys, etc., attached, supposed to resemble the chain of keys once worn by medieval chatelaines.
- This elegant little appendage to the dress, large enough to contain a handkerchief and purse, is deserving of being as generally adopted in the United States as it has recently been in Paris. […] Both sides of the Chatelaine are embroidered alike. […] The hook attaches this Chatelaine to the wristband.
- The latest fashion is to wear watches suspended from the chatelaine. The chatelaine is short, and ornamented with charms.
- 3
A similar thing in miniature attached to a watchchain.
- A French fashion is now busy investing the large body of French gentlemen with Chatelaines. These do not hang, as with English ladies, from the waist, but from the waistcoat pocket. They are generally attached to the watch—or, supposing the gentleman has no such useful appendage for killing time, then they are fastened to the waistcoat-button, and allowed to dangle gracefully therefrom.
- The Swiss jewellery chiefly consisted of châtelaines or watch pendants, having no very distinct style or character, but embracing examples of all styles, both ancient and modern; […] One of the chief attractions in the collection were the examples of châtelaines attached to watch cases, ornamented in a similar style.
資料來源：英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary（CC BY-SA 4.0）。 原文照列，未經改寫。