核心畫面

One way to hold it: letters put in the right order so they say something. That is the spelling word — and its older sense was closer to "to mean, to ", which is why a bad sign can still "spell trouble". The magic charm and the "a spell of rain" use are not extensions of this; they are different words that ended up looking the same.

可以想成把字母一個一個排到對的順序上,它們就說出了一個字。這是「拼字」的 spell——它早期的意思更接近「表示、意更多收起可以想成把字母一個一個排到對的順序上,它們就說出了一個字。這是「拼字」的 spell——它早期的意思更接近「表示、意味著」,所以一個壞兆頭到今天還可以 spell trouble。至於「咒語」和「一陣子」,並不是從拼字延伸出去的,而是本來就不同的字,只是後來長成同一個樣子。

From the word’s history

Spell "name the letters of a word" is from early 14c. Anglo-French espeller / Old French espelir "to mean, signify; explain, interpret", from a Frankish/Germanic source (Proto-Germanic *spellam); the native Old English cognate spellian meant "to tell, talk, speak".

「拼字」的 spell 出現在十四世紀初,來自盎格魯法語 espeller/古法語 espelir「表示、意味、解釋」,源頭是法蘭克語/日耳曼語(原始日耳曼語 *spellam);古英語同源的 spellian 意思是「講述、說」。所以這個字骨子裡的意思是「把意思說出來」,拼字只是其中一種說法。

Etymonline (etymonline.com/word/spell) — spell (v.1), spell (n.1), spell (n.2)/(v.2)

From the picture

咒語與著迷(另一個字)

這一支跟拼字不是同一條路,不必硬把它連回字母上。

magic spell · noun · A2

A set of special words or actions that are believed to make magic happen.

咒語 / 魔法

一段時間與換手(又一個字)

第三條路,跟拼字和咒語都沒有關係:它原本的意思是「替換、接手」。

a spell (period of time) · noun · A2

A short period of time during which a particular kind of weather, activity, or feeling continues.

一段時間 / 一陣

Also in this word

spell a word · verb · A2

To say or write the letters of a word in the correct order.

拼(字)

form a word · verb · A2

If a group of letters spells a word, they make that word when you put them together.

拼成 / 組成(字)

signal trouble · verb · A2

If a situation or action spells trouble, danger etc, it makes you expect that bad thing to happen.

意味著 / 招來(麻煩)

原始詞典資料26 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。

Spellname

  • 1

    A surname.

spellnoun詞源 1/spɛl/

  • 1

    Words or a formula supposed to have magical powers.

    • He cast a spell to cure warts.
  • 2

    A magical effect or influence induced by an incantation or formula.

    • under a spell
    • Skies are not so black / Mary took me back / Mary has broken your spell
  • 3

    obsoleteSpeech, discourse.

spellverb詞源 1/spɛl/

  • 1

    To put under the influence of a spell; to affect by a spell; to bewitch; to fascinate; to charm.

    • Vnchaine your spirits now with spelling Charmes,
    • […] although the Kings Jealousie was thus particular to her, his Affection was as general to others […] Above all, for a time he was much speld with Elianor Talbot […]
  • 2

    obsoleteslangTo hanker or yearn (for something).

    • "I have not got a coal ticket with me." "I am sorry you should think I was 'spelling' for a coal ticket," he interrupted; "if such an idea had occurred to me, I should have asked for it straightforwardly."

spellverb詞源 2/spɛl/

  • 1

    To write or say the letters that form a word or part of a word.

    • I find it difficult to spell because I'm dyslexic.
  • 2

    obsoleteTo read (something) as though letter by letter; to peruse slowly or with effort.

    • "He'll do," said Bildad, eyeing me, and then went on spelling away at his book in a mumbling tone quite audible.
  • 3

    Of letters: to compose (a word).

    • The letters “a”, “n” and “d” spell “and”.
    • In Esperanto each letter has only one sound, and each sound is represented in only one way. The words are pronounced exactly as spelt, every letter being sounded.
  • 4

    To clarify; to explain in detail.

    • Please spell it out for me.
    • When we get elected, for instance, we get one of these, and we are pretty much told what is in it, and it is our responsibility to read it and understand it, and if we do not, the Ethics Committee, we can call them any time of day and ask them to spell it out for us[…]
  • 5

    To indicate that (some event) will occur; typically followed by a single-word noun.

    • This spells trouble.
  • 6

    To constitute; to measure.

    • the Saxon heptarchy, when seven kings put together did spell but one in effect
  • 7

    obsoleteTo speak, to declaim.

    • O who can tell / The hidden power of herbes, and might of Magicke spell?
  • 8

    obsoleteTo tell; to relate; to teach.

    • 1770, Thomas Warton, “Ode on the Approach of Summer” in A Collection of Poems in Four Volumes, London: G. Pearch, Volume 1, p. 278, As thro’ the caverns dim I wind, Might I that legend find, By fairies spelt in mystic rhymes,
另外 1 個記錄的用法
  • 9

    entertainmentlifestylemusicTo notate or indicate a pitch, interval, or chord using a particular enharmonic spelling.

    • The note D♭ is spelled differently from C♯, even though they sound equivalent.
    • The way you spell a chord reflects its harmonic function.

spellverb詞源 3/spɛl/

  • 1

    To work in place of (someone).

    • to spell the helmsman
  • 2

    To rest (someone or something), to give someone or something a rest or break.

    • They spelled the horses and rested in the shade of some trees near a brook.
  • 3

    To rest from work for a time.

spellnoun詞源 3/spɛl/

  • 1

    A shift (of work); (rare) a set of workers responsible for a specific turn of labour.

  • 2

    informalA definite period (of work or other activity).

    • A chap named Eleazir Kendrick and I had chummed in together the summer afore and built a fish-weir and shanty at Setuckit Point, down Orham way. For a spell we done pretty well. Then there came a reg'lar terror of a sou'wester same as you don't get one summer in a thousand, and blowed the shanty flat and ripped about half of the weir poles out of the sand.
    • I had a job in the great North Woods / Workin' as a cook for a spell / But I never did like it all that much / And one day the ax just fell
  • 3

    An indefinite period of time (usually with a qualifier); by extension, a relatively short distance.

    • Even Mrs. Harker seems to lose sight of her trouble for whole spells. [...] When he had spoken, Mina's long spell of silence made me look at her.
    • So after a short spell in the brass foundry the wisest course was to follow with a similar period in the steel foundry, where much important work was done, including the manufacture of centres for wheels.
  • 4

    A period of rest; time off.

  • 5

    A period of illness, or sudden interval of bad spirits, disease etc.

  • 6

    ball-gamescricketgamesAn uninterrupted series of alternate overs bowled by a single bowler.

spellnoun詞源 4/spɛl/

  • 1

    A splinter, usually of wood; a spelk.

    • To swadle a bowe much about wyth bandes, verye seldome dothe anye good, excepte it be to kepe downe a spel in the backe.
  • 2

    The wooden bat in the game of trap ball, or knurr and spell.

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