rag.a.muf.fin
n.（名词）A shabbily clothed, dirty child.流浪儿童：衣衫褴褛的脏孩子
来源：Middle English Ragamuffyn [a personal name] 中古英语 Ragamuffyn [人名] probably raggi [ragged] from ragge [rag] * see rag 可能为 raggi [撕破的] 源自 ragge [碎布] *参见 ragMiddle Dutch moffel, muffe [mitten] * see muff 2中古荷兰语 moffel, muffe [棒球手套，拳击手套] *参见 muff2
<注释>Perhapsragamuffin should be seen as an example of melioration, or improvement in the sense of a word, since it can now be used rather affectionately of children who are normally far from dirty or unkempt.In any event,even its use for an unkempt child or man represents something of an improvementover one of its earliest uses.Ragamuffin was a name given to a demon in Piers Plowman, an allegorical poem of the 4th century. This name was once thought to be the source of our word,but researches at theMiddle English Dictionary have shown that the word was used as the last name of a woman, Isabella Ragamuffyn, earlier in the 4th century (344), before the poem was composed.The word even then had the sense .ragged lout, tattered oaf,.though it was found only in names.The elementraga- is probably from the Middle English adjective raggi, .ragged,. also used of the devil in the sense .shaggy. and as a name.The element-muffin is probably from Middle Dutch moffel or muffe, .mitten.. 也许ragamuffin 这个词应该看作词义变良或改善的例子， 因为它现在可以用来充满感情地指那些按常规来说远非肮脏或不整洁的孩子。不论如何，即使它被用来指那些不整洁的孩子或大人的时候，其用法较最初也有了很大提高。Ragamuffin 是4世纪的一部寓言诗 犁者码头 中一个魔鬼的名字。 这个名字一度被认为是本词的来源，但对中世纪英语词典 的研究表明这个词曾在4世纪早期(344年）用作一位妇女的姓，伊莎贝拉·拉格姆芬， 这早于那首诗创作之前。这个词甚至还曾有衣裳破烂的粗人、褴褛的呆子的意思，尽管此词仅见于姓名。构词成分raga- 可能源自中古英语的形容词 raggi .破烂的.， 也曾以.毛长而参差不齐.这个意思用于魔鬼和人名。构词成分-muffin 可能来自中世纪荷兰语中 moffel 或意为.连指手套.的 muffe
