"distaff" in Chinese (Traditional)

• 紡錘桿（古老工具）- 女性一方（喻意）

Definition

紡錘桿是一種紡紗工具，用來固定未紡的纖維。引申義上，也用來指家族的女性一方或與女性有關的活動。

Usage Notes (Chinese (Traditional))

“distaff”本意主要出現在歷史語境，現代多為比喻用法如“distaff side”，語氣正式、較古老，常見於文學或家譜學，和“spear side”（男性一方）對應。日常口語極少用。

Examples

A distaff was used to help spin thread in the past.

過去人們用**紡錘桿**幫助紡線。

The family tree traced the distaff side back for generations.

家譜追溯了**女性一方**好幾代。

She inherited the necklace from the distaff side of her family.

她的項鍊是從家族的**女性一方**繼承來的。

While cleaning out the attic, I found an old distaff among some antiques.

打掃閣樓時，我在一些古董中發現了一個舊**紡錘桿**。

In many royal families, succession passes on the distaff side only if there are no male heirs.

許多皇室家族只有在沒有男性繼承人時，繼承才歸**女性一方**。

Most people today wouldn’t recognize a distaff if they saw one.

現今大多數人看到**紡錘桿**也不認得。