喜樂美語

核心畫面

You can picture familiar as 'belonging to your household' — something or someone you live close to and see all the time. What is around you daily becomes easy to recognise, well known, comfortable. From that closeness grow both the good side (you know it / them well) and the risky side (acting as if you're closer than you really are).

可以想成它的底色是「屬於你這個家裡的」——天天在你身邊、你常看常碰的人或東西。每天都在的，自然就變得眼熟、好認、讓人…更多收起可以想成它的底色是「屬於你這個家裡的」——天天在你身邊、你常看常碰的人或東西。每天都在的，自然就變得眼熟、好認、讓人放心。從這份「家常的親近」同時長出好的一面（你對它/他很了解）和危險的一面（裝得比實際更熟）。

From the word’s history

From Latin familiaris 'of a household, belonging to the family', from familia (household). What belongs to your household is what you see daily — hence 'well known, intimate'. The witch's-animal sense comes from 'familiar spirit' (1560s), a spirit attending one as a household member.

源自拉丁文 familiaris「屬於家庭的、家裡的」，來自 familia（家戶）。屬於你家的，就是你天天見到的——於是引申為「熟悉、親近」。女巫的動物那一義來自 familiar spirit（1560 年代），指像家庭成員一樣隨侍在側的靈體。

etymonline.com/word/familiar

Three branches

熟悉 / 彼此熟識

最貼近核心：因為常常接觸（像家裡天天見的人事物），所以好認、了解、熟識。

recognizable · adjective · B1

Easy to recognize because you have seen, heard, or met it many times before.

熟悉的 / 眼熟的

太隨便 / 家常口吻

同一份「家人般的親近」用過頭或刻意放鬆：要嘛是裝得比實際更熟而顯得失禮，要嘛是把家常那種不拘禮的口吻用在說話寫字上。

overly friendly · adjective · B1

Acting too friendly or relaxed with someone, as if you know them well when you really do not.

過於親暱的 / 太隨便的

女巫的使魔

這是名詞用法，但仍接回同一條家庭線：它源自 familiar spirit，指像家庭成員一樣隨侍女巫的靈體。

witch's animal spirit · noun · B1

In old stories, an animal such as a cat that lives with a witch and is said to have magic powers.

（女巫的）魔寵 / 使魔

原始詞典資料9 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。

familiaradj/fəˈmɪl.i.ə/

  • 1

    Known to one, or generally known; commonplace.

    • There’s a familiar face; that tune sounds familiar.
    • The story struck the depressingly familiar note with which true stories ring in the tried ears of experienced policemen. No one queried it. It was in the classic pattern of human weakness, mean and embarrassing and sad.
  • 2

    Acquainted.

    • I'm quite familiar with this system; she's not familiar with manual gears.
  • 3

    Intimate or friendly.

    • We are on familiar terms now; our neighbour is not familiar
    • Don’t be familiar with me, boy!
  • 4

    Of or pertaining to a family; familial.

    • 1822, Lord Byron, Werner familiar feuds

familiarnoun/fəˈmɪl.i.ə/

  • 1

    An attendant spirit, often in animal or demon form.

    • The witch’s familiar was a black cat.
    • The familiars of the magicians, on the other hand, were not in all cases evil, and often may have approximated the "guides" with whom present-day spiritualists are well acquainted.
  • 2

    obsoleteA member of one's family or household.

  • 3

    A member of a pope's or bishop's household.

  • 4

    obsoleteA close friend.

    • [A] friend of mine, that finding a Receipt in Braſsivola, would needs take Hellebor in ſubſtance, & try it on his own perſon; but had not ſome of his familiars come to viſite him by chance, he had by his indiſcretion hazarded himſelfe; many ſuch I have obſerued.
  • 5

    historicalThe officer of the Inquisition who arrested suspected people.

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