喜樂美語

核心畫面

One way to picture it: two things placed side by side, with one sitting lower than the other. The word never describes a thing on its own — it always needs the other thing above it, whether the height is quality, rank, or how you feel next to someone.

兩個東西被放在一起比高低，而這一個位置比較低。這個字幾乎不能單獨描述一樣東西，它總是需要旁邊有另一個「比較高的」存在…更多收起兩個東西被放在一起比高低，而這一個位置比較低。這個字幾乎不能單獨描述一樣東西，它總是需要旁邊有另一個「比較高的」存在——至於高低量的是品質、是職位、還是站在別人旁邊時心裡的感覺，那是後來分出來的。

From the word’s history

From Latin īnferior, the comparative of īnferus 'below, underneath' — literally 'lower'. The comparative form is the point: the word is built to compare, so a lower position is always a position relative to something above.

來自拉丁文 īnferior，是 īnferus（在下面的）的比較級，字面就是「比較低的」。關鍵在「比較級」這個形式：這個字生下來就是拿來比的，所以它講的低，永遠是相對於上面某個東西的低。

Wiktionary: inferior < Latin īnferior, comparative of īnferus ('below, underneath')

Two branches

品質比較低

高低量的是「好不好」：把兩樣東西擺在一起，這一個在比較低的那一格。

not as good · adjective · C1

Not good, or not as good as someone or something else. You can use it about products, or about how a person feels next to others.

較差的

位階比較低

同一個上下畫面，但高低量的不是品質而是位置：在組織、法院或社會的階層圖上站得比較下面。

lower in rank · adjective · C1

Lower in rank than someone or something else, for example in a job, a court, or in social position.

下級的

原始詞典資料13 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。

inferioradj/ɪnˈfɪə.ɹi.ə/

  • 1

    Lower in rank, status, or quality.

    • Anna had always felt inferior to her brother due to poor school grades.
    • The pathological liar was morally inferior to his much nicer constituents.
  • 2

    Lower in rank, status, or quality.

    • an inferior officer
    • Due to the internet issue, the system generates an inferior audio file.
  • 3

    lawLower in rank, status, or quality.

  • 4

    economicssciencesLower in rank, status, or quality.

  • 5

    anatomymedicinesciencesLocated below:

  • 6

    biologynatural-scienceszoologyLocated below:

  • 7

    biologybotanynatural-sciencesLocated below:

  • 8

    biologybotanynatural-sciencesLocated below:

另外 3 個記錄的用法
  • 9

    mediapublishingtypographyLocated below:

    • an inferior figure or letter
  • 10

    astronomynatural-sciencesLocated below:

    • the inferior part of a meridian
  • 11

    astronomynatural-sciencesNearer to the Sun than the Earth is.

    • the inferior or interior planets
    • an inferior conjunction of Mercury or Venus

inferiornoun/ɪnˈfɪə.ɹi.ə/

  • 1

    A person of lower rank, stature, or ability to another.

    • ,
    • As you are my inferior, I can tell you to do anything I want.
  • 2

    mediaprintingpublishingAn inferior letter, figure, or symbol.

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。