banter 的詞源

「以幽默的玩笑和嘲弄進行攻擊」，1670 年代，來源不確定；據說是由斯威夫特指出來自倫敦街頭俚語。相關詞：Bantered；bantering。名詞「幽默的嘲笑」來自 1680 年代。

The third refinement observable in the letter I send you, consists in the choice of certain words invented by some pretty fellows; such as banter, bamboozle, country put, and kidney, as it is there applied; some of which are now struggling for the vogue, and others are in possession of it. I have done my utmost for some years past to stop the progress of mobb and banter, but have been plainly borne down by numbers, and betrayed by those who promised to assist me. [Swift, "The Tatler," No. 230, 1710]

我寄給你的信中可觀察到的第三個精緻之處，在於選擇了一些由某些漂亮傢伙發明的詞彙；例如banter、bamboozle、country put和kidney，如同在那裡應用的；其中一些詞彙現在正在爭奪流行，而其他詞彙已經擁有了流行。我在過去幾年中竭盡全力阻止mobb和banter的進展，但顯然被數量壓倒，並被那些承諾協助我的人背叛。[斯威夫特，《閒談者》，第 230 號，1710]