喜樂美語

核心畫面

Picture someone raising a hand and calling something bigger than themselves to witness what they are about to say — a god, their mother's life, everything they hold dear. The words are backed by a stake: if I am lying, let that stake be lost. Every use of swear keeps a trace of that raised hand, from a courtroom oath down to the words that fly out when you hit your thumb with a hammer.

可以想成：一個人舉起手，把某個比自己更大的東西請來作證——神、家人的性命、自己最看重的一切——然後才把話說出口。這句…更多收起可以想成：一個人舉起手，把某個比自己更大的東西請來作證——神、家人的性命、自己最看重的一切——然後才把話說出口。這句話背後押了東西：如果我騙人，那樣東西就沒了。swear 的每一種用法裡都還留著那隻舉起來的手，從法庭上的宣誓，一路到槌子敲到手指時脫口而出的那句話。

From the word’s history

Old English swerian meant 'take or utter an oath, make a solemn declaration with an appeal to divinity'. The 'use profane language' sense is later (early 15c.), and is thought to have grown out of 'invoke sacred names profanely or blasphemously' (mid-14c.) — the same act of calling on a sacred name, but emptied of the oath.

古英語 swerian 的意思是「立誓、鄭重宣告並請神明作證」；「說髒話」這個意思要晚得多（15 世紀初），一般認為是從「隨口褻瀆地喊神聖的名字」（14 世紀中）長出來的。也就是說，發誓和罵髒話做的是同一件事——搬出神聖的名字——差別只在一個是慎重地請來作證，一個是情緒上來時脫口喊出。這解釋了為什麼中文看起來毫不相干的兩個意思，在英文裡是同一個字。

Online Etymology Dictionary (etymonline.com), entry 'swear'

From the picture

拿誓言擔保「我真的沒騙人」

誓言原本押在未來的行動上，這裡改押在當下這句話的真假：我這麼慎重地講，就是要你相信我沒有唬爛。

insist it's true · verb · B2

To say very firmly that something is true, especially when others may doubt you.

發誓（真的沒騙人）

把神聖的字眼當情緒出口

誓言裡那些請來作證的神聖字眼，一旦在生氣或痛的時候隨口喊出來，就不再是擔保而是發洩——同一個舉手的動作，抽掉了慎重，剩下衝擊力。這也是為什麼髒話在英文裡叫 swear words。

use bad language · verb · B2

To use rude, bad words that can upset or offend other people.

罵髒話

Also in this word

promise solemnly · verb · B2

To promise very seriously that you will do something.

發誓、保證

take an oath · verb · B2

To make an official public promise, for example in a court or when starting an important job.

宣誓

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。

swearverb詞源 1/ˈswɛə(ɹ)/

  • 1

    To take an oath, to promise intensely, solemnly, and/or with legally binding effect.

    • The knight swore not to return to the palace until he had found the treasure.
  • 2

    To take an oath that an assertion is true.

    • The witness swore that the person she had seen running out of the bank was a foot shorter than the accused.
  • 3

    To promise intensely that something is true; to strongly assert.

    • I swear I don't know what you're talking about.
    • My little brother is such a pest, I swear.
  • 4

    To administer an oath to (a person).

    • Let the witness be sworn.
  • 5

    To use offensive, profane, or obscene language.

    • An Australian was once appointed on contract, but he swore too much.

swearnoun詞源 2/ˈswɛə(ɹ)/

  • 1

    A swear word.

    • You might think it funny to hear this Kanaka girl come out with a big swear. No such thing. There was no swearing in her — no, nor anger; she was beyond anger, and meant the word simple and serious.
    • [A]ccording to his kind the man would smile cynically, or look sad, or let out a swear or two.

swearadj詞源 3/ˈswɛə(ɹ)/

  • 1

    Heavy.

  • 2

    Top-heavy; too high.

  • 3

    Dull; lazy; slow.

    • Rise up gueedewife, an dinna be sweer, / B'soothan, b'soothan, / An deal yir chirity t' the peer, / An awa b'mony a toon.
  • 4

    Reluctant; unwilling.

    • But faith, to glump ye I'd be sweer / I wish ye luck o' this new year
    • My father will maybe be a wee sweer to take ye in, but ye maun make your way on him the best gate ye can; he has the best stockit pantry on Teviot head, but a bit of a Laidlaw's fault, complaining aye maist when he has least reason.
  • 5

    Niggardly.

    • For if my Pen shall turn as Sweir's their Purse / I fear this is the last I'll write in Verse

swearnoun詞源 3/ˈswɛə(ɹ)/

  • 1

    A lazy time; a short rest during working hours (especially field labour); a siesta.

swearverb詞源 3/ˈswɛə(ɹ)/

  • 1

    To be lazy; rest for a short while during working hours.

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。