一路往下滑，滑成一團亂
同樣是往下，但這次往下掉的不是某樣東西的持有權，而是整個場面的狀態。起點是有秩序的，終點比起點糟，中間那段下滑就是這個字在講的東西。
verb · C1
To get worse and turn into something messy, angry or out of control. Usually written devolve into something.
淪為、演變成一團亂
核心畫面
One way to hold devolve: something rolls down one step. It was up there, held by the centre, the head office or the person before; now it is down here, and whoever is at the lower step has it. Two things follow from that picture. The thing itself does the moving, so it is usually the subject of the sentence, and the direction is always down — never up. What rolls down can be a power, a piece of property, or the whole state of a situation.
「devolve」可以想成：有個東西往下滾了一階。本來在上面，握在中央、總公司或前一個人手上；現在在下面，接到的是低…更多收起
「devolve」可以想成：有個東西往下滾了一階。本來在上面，握在中央、總公司或前一個人手上；現在在下面，接到的是低一階的那一方。這個畫面帶出兩件事。一是移動的是那個東西本身，所以它通常當主詞。二是方向永遠向下，不會向上。往下滾的可以是一份權力、一筆財產，也可以是整個場面的狀態。From the word’s history
Devolve was borrowed from Latin devolvo, to roll or tumble down, from de- (down) and volvo (roll). English once used it literally for rolling something down, and that older use is now obsolete, but the direction it carries has stayed in every modern sense.
devolve 借自拉丁文 dēvolvō，意思是「往下滾、往下翻落」，由 dē-（往下）加 volvō（滾動）組成。英文早期真的拿它講「把東西往下滾」，那個用法今天已經廢棄了。但它帶著的方向留了下來——現在每一個意思都還是往下走。
Wiktionary etymology tree supplied in this packet (source_ref kaikki:3f6f69a190036ae4:1112584466:18634): borrowed from Latin dēvolvō (roll or tumble off or down), from dē- + volvō (roll). The obsolete literal sense is evidence row wikt:devolve:verb:6.
From the picture
Also in this word
verb · C1
To hand a power, a duty or a responsibility down to a person or group at a lower level; or, when a duty or power passes down to them in this way.
把權責下放；（權責）落到某人身上
verb · C2
If land, money or a title devolves to or upon someone, it becomes theirs after the person who held it before has died.
（財產、頭銜）依序傳給某人