核心畫面

One way to picture it: the thing that gets done every time, because that's how it has always been done here — a groove worn into behaviour by , not a written rule.

一條被走出來的路。沒有人立牌子規定要走這裡,但因為大家一次又一次都這樣走,久了就成了那條路,你不照著走反而會被注意到更多收起一條被走出來的路。沒有人立牌子規定要走這裡,但因為大家一次又一次都這樣走,久了就成了那條路,你不照著走反而會被注意到。custom 是「習俗、慣例」,customary 就是「屬於那條被走出來的路的」——重點在重複造成的理所當然,而不是白紙黑字的規定。

From the word’s history

From Middle English custumary, from Medieval Latin custumarius, on custom + -ary — literally "belonging to custom", i.e. to what is repeatedly done.

這個字來自中古英語 custumary、再往上是中世紀拉丁文 custumarius,拆開就是 custom(習俗、慣例)加 -ary(屬於…的)——字面即「屬於慣例的」。所以只要記得 custom 這個字,customary 的兩個用法都能推出來:屬於「一群人的慣例」,或屬於「某個人的慣例」。

Wiktionary, entry "customary" (Middle English custumary < Medieval Latin custumarius; custom + -ary)

Two branches

一群人的慣例

這一家就是核心畫面本身:路是眾人一起走出來的,所以有社會壓力在。

usual by custom · adjective · C1

Normal or polite in a group because it is the usual way people there do something.

習慣上的

某一個人的慣例

同一條被走出來的路,只是這次走的人只有一個:不是社會的慣例,而是某人自己的固定做法。

typical for a person · adjective · C1

Usual for a particular person; the way that person almost always behaves or does something.

一貫的

原始詞典資料3 筆記錄

以下是外部詞典記錄的用法,原文照列,我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的;有些用法可能上面已經講過了。

customaryadj/ˈkʌs.tə.m(ə.)ɹi/

  • 1

    In accordance with, or established by, custom or common usage.

    • At half-past nine on this Saturday evening, the parlour of the Salutation Inn, High Holborn, contained most of its customary visitors.[…]In former days every tavern of repute kept such a room for its own select circle, a club, or society, of habitués, who met every evening, for a pipe and a cheerful glass.
    • When two people met for the first time in Diaspar—or even for the hundredth—it was customary to spend an hour or so in an exchange or courtesies before getting down to business, if any.
  • 2

    Holding or held by custom.

    • customary tenants
    • The tenants are chiefly customary and heriotable.

customarynoun/ˈkʌs.tə.m(ə.)ɹi/

  • 1

    lawA book containing laws and usages, or customs; a custumal.

資料來源:英文維基詞典 English WiktionaryCC BY-SA 4.0)。 原文照列,未經改寫。