核心畫面

Picture people sitting down together to talk something out until it is settled. That is the whole word: a gathering whose purpose is the talking. The first sense names a real council of Native American communities, where what is decided matters. English then points the same word at four colleagues by a desk, and the gap between those two pictures is exactly where the joke lives — and also why the joking use is worth handling with care.

可以想成一群人坐下來,把一件事講到有結論。這個字的全部就在這裡:一場以「談」為目的的聚會。第一個意思指的是北美原住民更多收起可以想成一群人坐下來,把一件事講到有結論。這個字的全部就在這裡:一場以「談」為目的的聚會。第一個意思指的是北美原住民真正的議事集會,談出來的事情是算數的。英文後來把同一個字拿去指辦公桌邊的四個同事,兩個畫面之間的落差就是笑點所在——也正是為什麼那個開玩笑的用法要小心使用。

Two branches

原住民的議事集會

核心畫面最完整的樣子:談的人是誰、談的事情有多重,定義裡都寫明了。

noun · B2

A meeting or council of Native American people, held to talk over and decide things that matter to the group.

北美原住民的集會、議事會

拿來講一般開會的輕鬆用法

同一個字被拿去指日常的小會議。這裡只講用法上的關係,不主張誰從誰變出來。

noun · B2

A meeting or discussion, especially a short one to sort something out. Speakers use it as a light, joking word for an ordinary meeting.

(玩笑地說的)開個會、談一下