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ESL forum >
Ask for help > Sleuth
Sleuth
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aliciapc
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Sleuth
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Hi everyone,
I saw the movie "Sleuth" yesterday, with a group of FCE sts. They asked me what the word means and all I could come up with was "detective" ... Is that correct ? Dict.definition : someone who solves crimes or mysteries .
In what context would you use it ? Thanks for your help !
Alicia
( I´m off to work now, I´ll check later. Thanks again! ) |
4 May 2011
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almaz
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Yes, Alicia, �detective� or �investigator� are fine. There�s also an intransitive verb, �to sleuth�.
Think of the word sabueso in Spanish and you�ll have a clue to the origin of the word in English: both also refer to a type of dog noted for its keen sense of smell and tracking abilities. According to my dictionary, the word �sleuth� is related to the word for animal tracks (slot).
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4 May 2011
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almaz
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Interesting, Kodora. I didn �t know that the �sleuth � pronunciation came from Scots English. There �s an odd sort of symmetry when you consider that the first �Private Eye � was a Glaswegian - Allan Pinkerton. |
4 May 2011
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aliciapc
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Thanks Alex and Dora, absolutely clear now. Thanks for the links ! |
5 May 2011
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