deign

Jane Austenの "pride and prejudice" 原書版を読み始めました。多読版と違って難しい単語がでてきます。２百年以上も前、つまり江戸時代後期に書かれた英語の割にはそれほど違和感はありません。高校生の頃古文が大の苦手だったので日本語でも江戸時代後期の本は読めないでしょうね。
今日取り上げる単語は古語ではないようですが、余り見かけたことがなかった単語です。
“But you forget, mamma,” said Elizabeth, “that we shall meet him at the assemblies, and that Mrs. Long promised to introduce him.”
“I do not believe Mrs. Long will do any such thing. She has two nieces of her own. She is a selfish, hypocritical woman, and I have no opinion of her.”
“No more have I,” said Mr. Bennet; “and I am glad to find that you do not depend on her serving you.”
Mrs. Bennet deigned not to make any reply, but, unable to contain herself, began scolding one of her daughters.
"deign" を辞書で調べます。
・Oxford English Dictionary: Do something that one considers to be beneath one's dignity.: she did not deign to answer the maid's question

・Collins Dictionary: If you say that someone deigned to do something, you are expressing your disapproval of the fact that they did it unwillingly, because they thought they were too important to do it.: Weatherby didn't deign to reply.

・Cambridge English Dictionary: to do something unwillingly and in a way that shows that you think you are too important to do it: If she deigns to reply to my letter, I'll be extremely surprised.