confetti 的词源

1815年，“用石灰或软石膏制成的小球，意大利狂欢节期间，庆祝者在街上互相投掷的玩意儿”，这个词源于意大利语的复数形式confetto，意为“糖果”，经过古法语演变而来，最终源自拉丁语confectum和confectus（参见confection）。

这些小球（投掷后会留下白色痕迹）最初是意大利狂欢节上用来替代传统糖果的小糖果；这种习俗在19世纪初被英国人采纳，用于婚礼和其他场合，象征性地投掷小纸片（这些纸片在1846年被称为confetti）。

The chief amusement of the Carnival consists in throwing the confetti—a very ancient practice, and which, with a little research, may be traced up through the Italian Chronicles to the time of the Romans. The confetti were originally of sugar, and the nobility still pique themselves on adhering to so costly a material. The people have degraded them to small balls of lime, which allows more sport, and takes in a much greater number of combatants. [Dr. Abraham Eldon, "The Continental Traveller's Oracle; or, Maxims for Foreign Locomotion," London, 1828]

狂欢节的主要乐趣就是投掷confetti——这是一种非常古老的习俗，经过一些研究，可以追溯到罗马时代的意大利编年史。最初的confetti是糖制的，贵族们仍然喜欢用这种昂贵的材料。而普通人则把它们简化为石灰小球，这样更有趣，也能吸引更多的人参与战斗。[亚伯拉罕·埃尔登博士，《欧洲旅行者的指南；或，外国旅行的箴言》，伦敦，1828年]

[The Roman ladies] are generally provided with a small basket of confetti, and as their acquaintance and admirers pass in review, they must be prepared to receive a volley of them. It is thought quite the supreme bon ton for a Roman beau, to mark how many distinguished beauties he is in favour with, by having both his coat and hat covered as white as a miller with the flour of these confetti. [John Bramsen, "Letters of a Prussian Traveller," 1818]

[罗马的女士们]通常会准备一个装满confetti的小篮子，当她们的朋友和追求者经过时，必须准备好迎接一阵confetti的轰炸。被认为是罗马绅士的最高风尚，就是通过自己的衣服和帽子被这些confetti的白色覆盖，来显示他受到多少美丽女性的青睐。[约翰·布拉姆森，《普鲁士旅行者的书信》，1818年]