核心畫面

Think of a smooth surface with one small, round, shallow hollow pressed into it — small enough to cover with a fingertip, soft-edged, not a hole and not damage. Every use of the word is that same little hollow, and the only thing that changes is what the surface is: a car roof, a golf ball, a piece of metal, or a person's cheek.

可以想成一個本來平滑的表面上,有一個小小、圓圓、淺淺的凹。小到一根手指就蓋得住,邊緣是軟的,不是破洞,也不算損傷。這更多收起可以想成一個本來平滑的表面上,有一個小小、圓圓、淺淺的凹。小到一根手指就蓋得住,邊緣是軟的,不是破洞,也不算損傷。這個字的每一種用法,畫面都是同一個小凹。變的只是那個表面是什麼:車頂、高爾夫球、一塊金屬,或是一個人的臉頰。

From the word’s history

From Middle English dimpel and Old English *dympel, meaning a pit or depression, from a Germanic root for hole or hollow. The hollow was in the word from the start.

這個字可以追到中古英語 dimpel、古英語 *dympel,意思就是「小坑、凹陷」,再往上是日耳曼語裡表示「洞、坑」的字根。所以「表面上一個小凹」不是後來引申的,而是這個字一開始就在講的東西。

Wiktionary entry 'dimple' (kaikki extract, source_ref kaikki:3f6f69a190036ae4:574031223)

Two branches

表面上的小凹

這一組最貼近核心畫面:小凹長在物體上。有的是刻意做出來的,有的是被打出來的。

noun · B2

A small round hollow in the surface of something, such as the many tiny hollows on a golf ball or a mark pressed into metal.

小凹痕

臉上的小凹(酒窩)

同一個小凹長在人臉上。表面換成皮膚以後,這個字就從單純的形狀變成一個討喜、帶感情的字。

noun · B1

A small hollow in your skin, especially the one that appears in your cheek when you smile, or the one some people have in the middle of the chin.

酒窩