核心畫面

A cry that comes out thin and very high, all at once, before the person can stop it. It goes straight through a room the way a needle goes through cloth. Fear can push it out; so can pain, anger, or laughing too hard.

可以想成一聲又細又高的叫,還來不及忍就衝出來了。它穿過整個空間的方式,有點像針穿過布——不是靠音量壓過去,而是靠那個更多收起可以想成一聲又細又高的叫,還來不及忍就衝出來了。它穿過整個空間的方式,有點像針穿過布——不是靠音量壓過去,而是靠那個高度刺過去。害怕會逼出這一聲,痛、生氣、笑到不行也會。所以 shriek 本身不帶好壞,它只描述聲音的形狀;情緒好不好,要看後面接的 with laughter、in pain,或看前後文。

From the word’s history

Wiktionary traces shriek through Middle English scrycke back to a Scandinavian source (Swedish skrika, Danish skrige) and the same Germanic root as screech. The sharp, high sound has travelled with the word.

Wiktionary 記載 shriek 經中古英語 scrycke,來自北歐語系(瑞典語 skrika、丹麥語 skrige),和 screech 同一個日耳曼語根。可以想成那種又高又刺的聲音,一路跟著這個字走到今天。

Wiktionary (kaikki extract, source_ref kaikki:3f6f69a190036ae4:669360891) — “From obsolete shrick… from Middle English scrycke, from a North Germanic/Scandinavian language (compare Swedish skrika…), from Proto-Germanic *skrīkijaną… More at screech.”

Two branches

叫出那一聲

動詞這一組看的是「發出」這個動作:先是純粹的一聲叫,接著同一種聲音裡開始帶上字。

verb · B2

To make a very high, loud cry, usually because you are frightened, hurt, angry or very excited. Birds and animals can shriek too.

尖叫

那一聲本身

名詞把同一個聲音從動作變成可以指、可以數的一樣東西:一聲、兩聲,或滿場都是。

noun · B2

A very high, loud cry made because you are frightened, hurt, excited or laughing.

尖叫聲