喜樂美語

核心畫面

One who serves and attends to others on behalf of a higher authority — originally a 'servant'. From this servant-image grow both the church minister (serving God and the congregation) and the government minister (serving the state).

可以想成「替更高的權威服事、照顧眾人的人」，最早的畫面比較像一個「僕人」。從這個服事的形象，一邊長出教會裡服事上帝與…更多收起可以想成「替更高的權威服事、照顧眾人的人」，最早的畫面比較像一個「僕人」。從這個服事的形象，一邊長出教會裡服事上帝與信眾的「牧師」，一邊長出替國家辦事、掌管一個部門的「部長」。表面上部長很高位，骨子裡這個字仍帶著「服務、效勞」的底色。

From the word’s history

From Latin 'minister' = inferior, servant, attendant (from 'minus' = less, i.e. subordinate), formed on the model of 'magister' (master). The 'one who serves' sense underlies both the church and the political uses.

源自拉丁文 minister，意為「下屬、僕人、侍從」，由 minus（較少、較低）而來，是相對於 magister（主人）造出來的字。這個「服事的人」的底義，正好串起後來的「牧師」與「部長」兩條用法。

etymonline.com — Minister (Etymology, Origin & Meaning), https://www.etymonline.com/word/minister

Two branches

服事的人（名詞）

這一家把「服事者」這個核心攤成三種具體身分：服事上帝的牧師、服事國家的部長、代表國家在外的公使。職位高低差很多，但底層都是「替某個更高的權威效勞、辦事」。

a priest · noun · B2

A priest in some Christian churches.

牧師

從事服事（動詞）

把名詞的「服事者」直接化為動作：去做服事這件事。語意上正好回到拉丁文 ministrare（服事、照料）的原貌。

to serve as a priest · verb · B2

To work as a priest, caring for people in a church.

擔任牧師、傳道

原始詞典資料8 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。

ministernoun詞源 1/ˈmɪn.əˌstɚ/

  • 1

    ChristianityProtestantismA person who is trained to preach, to perform religious ceremonies, and to afford pastoral care at a Protestant church.

    • The minister said a prayer on behalf of the entire congregation.
  • 2

    CatholicismChristianityRoman-CatholicismA person (either a layperson or an ordained clergy member) who is commissioned to perform some act on behalf of the Catholic Church.

  • 3

    governmentA politician who heads a ministry

    • He was newly appointed to be Minister of the Interior.
    • Ministers to kings, whose eyes, ears, and hands they are, must be answerable to God and man.
  • 4

    In diplomacy, the rank of diplomat directly below ambassador.

  • 5

    A servant; a subordinate; an officer or assistant of inferior rank; hence, an agent, an instrument.

    • […], I choſe / Camillo for the miniſter, to poyſon / My friend Polixenes: […]
    • And Moſes roſe vp, and his miniſter Ioſhua: and Moſes went vp into the mount of God.

ministerverb詞源 2/ˈmɪn.əˌstɚ/

  • 1

    To attend to (the needs of); to tend; to take care (of); to give aid; to give service.

  • 2

    To function as a clergyman or as the officiant in church worship.

  • 3

    archaicTo afford, to give, to supply.

    • I do vvell beleeue your Highneſſe, and did it to miniſter occaſion to theſe Gentlemen, […]
    • ([…] Now he that miniſtreth ſeede to the ſower, both miniſter bread for your foode, and multiply your ſeede ſowen, and encreaſe the fruites of your righteouſneſſe)

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。