核心畫面

Two people lean in close and lower their voices, because what they are about to say is about someone who is not in the room. The talk moves on to a third person, then a fourth, and by then nobody is sure any more which part really happened. That travelling, talk about other people's private lives is the picture in gossip — and the word covers the talk itself, the act of doing it, and the person who does it a lot.

可以想成兩個人湊近、把聲音壓低,因為接下來要講的是一個不在場的人。話從這兩個人傳到第三個、第四個,傳著傳著,就沒人分更多收起可以想成兩個人湊近、把聲音壓低,因為接下來要講的是一個不在場的人。話從這兩個人傳到第三個、第四個,傳著傳著,就沒人分得清哪一段是真的發生過。gossip 給人的畫面就像這種會自己長腳、沒人查證的私事話題——而且這一個字同時裝下了三樣東西:那些話本身、講這些話的行為,還有很愛講的那個人。

From the word’s history

Gossip comes from Old English godsibb, literally 'God' + sibb 'relative' (the sibb in sibling) — it first meant a sponsor or godparent, someone tied to your family at a baptism. By around 1300 it had widened to 'a familiar acquaintance, friend, neighbour', especially the women invited to be present at a birth. From the 1560s it named anyone given to familiar or idle talk, and by 1811 the talk itself, 'trifling talk, groundless rumour'. So the word travelled from a close relationship, to the people you are close enough to talk freely with, to what those people say.

gossip 來自古英文 godsibb,字面是 God(神)加 sibb(親人,就是 sibling 裡的那個 sibb),原本指教父教母——受洗時和你家綁在一起的那個人。到了約 1300 年,意思擴大成「熟人、朋友、鄰居」,特別指受邀在產婦生產時陪在旁邊的那些婦女。1560 年代起用來指愛閒聊的人,到 1811 年才連「那些閒話」本身也叫 gossip。這條路很值得記:它從一種親近的關係,走到「親近到可以無話不談的那些人」,最後才落到「那些人講的話」。也就是說,八卦之所以流動得那麼快,是因為它一開始就長在關係裡。

Online Etymology Dictionary (etymonline.com), entry 'gossip (n.)'

Three branches

那些傳來傳去的話

核心畫面本身:內容關於別人的私事,而且一路被轉述。

unkind talk about others · noun · B2

Talk or news about other people's private lives that is passed from person to person, and that may be unkind or not true.

閒話;八卦

正在講的那個動作

同一個字直接當動詞用:不是那些話,而是把那些話講出去的動作。

to talk about others · verb · B2

To talk about other people's private lives, often unkindly or not truthfully.

說八卦;說閒話

很愛講的那個人

從動作回頭指人:常做這件事,久了就被人用這個字稱呼。這也是這個字最古老的落點——它本來就是先指人,才指話。

person who gossips · noun · B2

Someone who likes talking about other people's private lives — used when you do not approve of that.

長舌的人

原始詞典資料14 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。

Gossipname

  • 1

    A surname.

gossipnoun/ˈɡɒsɪp/

  • 1

    Someone who likes to talk about other people's private or personal business.

    • Be careful what you say to him: he’s a bit of a gossip.
    • A losing Gamester, who is obliged to drive into the City to dispose of a little South Sea Stock, gives the Hint there. The Gossips at Garraway’s have it in a Moment: At One it is buzz’d on Change, and the circulating Whisper in the Boxes interrupts the Play at Night.
  • 2

    Idle talk about someone’s private or personal matters, especially about someone not present.

    • According to the latest gossip, their relationship is on the rocks.
    • I have a juicy piece of gossip to share with you.
  • 3

    Idle conversation in general.

    • The parlor was always bright and attractive, the chessboard ready, the piano in tune, plenty of gay gossip, and a nice little supper set forth in tempting style.
  • 4

    A genre in contemporary media, usually focused on the personal affairs of celebrities.

    • a gossip columnist
    • a gossip blog
  • 5

    computingengineeringmathematicsCommunication done using a gossip protocol.

  • 6

    historicalA sponsor; a godfather or godmother; the godparent of one's child or godchild, or the parent of one's godchild.

    • ’tis not a maid, for she hath had gossips [i.e. she could not be a virgin, because she has children with godparents]
    • Should a great Lady, that was invited to be a Gossip, in her place send her Kitchen-Maid, ’twould be ill taken;
  • 7

    obsoleteA familiar acquaintance.

    • My noble gossips, ye have been too prodigal: I thank ye heartily;
  • 8

    obsoleteTitle used with the name of one's child's godparent or of a friend.

    • What, ho, gossip Ford! what, ho!
    • He was old and infirm, he wrote, and Gossip Death was waiting for him on the moor; but before he went to join him he would like to see Susan’s boy again.

gossipverb/ˈɡɒsɪp/

  • 1

    To talk about someone else's private or personal business, especially in a manner that spreads the information.

    • This Place then is no other than the Chandler’s Shop; the known Seat of all the News; or, as it is vulgarly called, Gossiping, in every Parish in England.
    • Godfrey felt guilty at having gossiped to Olive about Lettie’s changes in her will.
  • 2

    To talk idly.

    • […] on seats beneath the trees, the old men group of an evening to drink their ale and gossip over village politics;
    • "Tut! tut! The unchanging woman. They gossiped in my time and they gossip still."
  • 3

    obsoleteTo stand godfather to; to provide godparents for.

    • […] a world Of pretty, fond, adoptious christendoms [i.e. Christian names], That blinking Cupid gossips.
    • The Pleasure I used to take in telling my Boy Stories of the Battles, and asking my Girl Questions about the Disposal of her Baby, and the Gossiping of it, is turned into inward Reflection and Melancholy.
  • 4

    obsoleteTo enjoy oneself during festivities, to make merry.

    • […] those baby eyes That never saw the giant world enraged; Nor met with fortune other than at feasts, Full of warm blood, of mirth, of gossiping.
  • 5

    computingengineeringmathematicsTo communicate using a gossip protocol.

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