核心畫面

You can think of dearly as saying that something weighs a lot. The old root means worthily, — the full amount, not a small one. Put that weight on feeling and you get loved her dearly: the feeling is heavy and real. Put it on what a mistake takes from you and you get cost him dearly: what he lost was heavy. Put it on a price tag and you get dearly priced: the number is heavy. One word, and each use tells you which side the weight is sitting on — the loving side or the paying side.

dearly 可以想成在說「這個份量很重」。它的古老字根意思是「值得地、豐厚地」,是滿滿的那一份,不是一點點。把這個更多收起dearly 可以想成在說「這個份量很重」。它的古老字根意思是「值得地、豐厚地」,是滿滿的那一份,不是一點點。把這個重量放在感情上,就是 loved her dearly:那份感情很沉、很真。放在一個錯誤拿走的東西上,就是 cost him dearly:失去的那些很重。放在價錢上,就是 dearly priced:數字很重。同一個字,看它把重量放在哪一邊——愛的那一邊,還是付出的那一邊。

From the word’s history

From Middle English derely, from Old English deorlice, meaning worthily or richly: dear plus -ly.

來自中古英語 derely,再往前是古英語 dēorlīċe,意思是「值得地、豐厚地」,也就是 dear 加上 -ly。這正好說明為什麼同一個字既能講愛得很深,也能講付出很大:兩邊講的都是份量。

Wiktionary entry for dearly, packet source_ref kaikki:3f6f69a190036ae4:1025906929 (etymology_text: From Middle English derely, deorliche, from Old English dēorlīċe (worthily, richly), equivalent to dear + -ly).

Two branches

感情放得很重

重量放在人與人之間:愛、想念、放在心上很久的願望。

r · B2

Very much — used with words about loving, missing, or wanting, to show that the feeling is deep and real.

深深地;非常

付出得很重

同樣的重量,換到付出的那一邊:不是你放進去多少感情,而是你被拿走多少。

r · B2

In a way that brings a lot of loss, trouble, or suffering — used about what a mistake or a decision ends up costing someone.

付出慘痛代價地