核心畫面

Warlike is war with -like on the end, so a useful picture is simply: this thing carries the smell of war. Sometimes that smell comes from inside a group, because fighting is what it is good at and proud of. Sometimes it comes off a single sentence or a single move, because the speaker wants you to notice that fighting is possible. Nothing has to be burning for the word to fit; what matters is that war is in the air.

warlike 可以想成 war(戰爭)加上 -like(像…的樣子),畫面大致是:這個人、這群人、或這句話,身上帶更多收起warlike 可以想成 war(戰爭)加上 -like(像…的樣子),畫面大致是:這個人、這群人、或這句話,身上帶著戰爭的氣味。有時候那股氣味是從骨子裡來的——這個民族本來就擅長打仗,也以此為榮。有時候只是從一句話、一個動作飄出來——還沒開打,但對方已經聞到了。兩個意思的差別,可以想成「氣味從哪裡來」:從性格來,還是從當下的姿態來。

From the word’s history

The source entry gives war + -like, and notes an older English form warly with the same job.

來源資料寫的是 war + -like,並提到英文早期還有一個 warly 的說法。這個構詞正好說明了它的兩種用法為什麼都成立:-like 說的是「像…的樣子」,而樣子可以來自長期的性格,也可以來自當下的姿態。

Wiktionary extract supplied in packet (source_ref kaikki:3f6f69a190036ae4:833838996:15737)

Two branches

骨子裡好戰(形容群體)

這一支的戰爭氣味是從群體本身長出來的:他們喜歡打仗,也打得好,所以不打的時候還是這種人。

adjective · C1

Liking war and being good at it. It describes a people, a nation or a group that is ready to fight and proud of how well it fights.

好戰的

擺出開戰姿態(形容言行)

同樣是戰爭的氣味,但這一支的氣味來自當下的一句話或一個動作,目的就是要讓對方聞到。

adjective · C1

Showing that you are ready to attack or to start a war. It describes words, actions or a position that threatens fighting, even when no fighting has started.

擺出開戰姿態的