merry

• adj. 愉快的；微醉的；嬉戲作樂的
• n. 甜櫻桃
• n. (Merry)人名；(英、法、西)梅裏

來自古英語myrge,愉快的，高興的，來自Proto-Germanic*murgijaz,短暫的，來自PIE*mreghu,短暫的，詞源同brief,abbreviate.字母b,m音變。詞義由短暫的引申為歡樂的可能是來自心理作用，即歡樂總是短暫的。

merry

merry: [OE] Merry goes back to a prehistoric Germanic *murgjaz, which appears to have been derived from a base meaning ‘short’. By the time it reached Old English, as myrige, it meant ‘pleasant’ – a semantic leap perhaps inspired by the notion of ‘shortening’ time by passing it pleasantly. The modern meaning ‘jolly’ did not emerge until the 14th century. A derivative of *murgjaz was the noun *murgithō, source of English mirth [OE]; Dutch has the related merchte ‘mirth’.
=> mirth

merry (adj.)

Old English myrge "pleasing, agreeable, pleasant, sweet; pleasantly, melodiously," from Proto-Germanic *murgijaz, which probably originally meant "short-lasting," (compare Old High German murg "short," Gothic gamaurgjan "to shorten"), from PIE *mreghu- "short" (see brief (adj.)). The only exact cognate for meaning outside English was Middle Dutch mergelijc "joyful."

Connection to "pleasure" is likely via notion of "making time fly, that which makes the time seem to pass quickly" (compare German Kurzweil "pastime," literally "a short time;" Old Norse skemta "to amuse, entertain, amuse oneself," from skamt, neuter of skammr "short"). There also was a verbal form in Old English, myrgan "be merry, rejoice." For vowel evolution, see bury (v.).

Bot vchon enle we wolde were fyf, þe mo þe myryer. [c. 1300]

The word had much wider senses in Middle English, such as "pleasant-sounding" (of animal voices), "fine" (of weather), "handsome" (of dress), "pleasant-tasting" (of herbs). Merry-bout "an incident of sexual intercourse" was low slang from 1780. Merry-begot "illegitimate" (adj.), "bastard" (n.) is from 1785. Merrie England (now frequently satirical or ironic) is 14c. meri ingland, originally in a broader sense of "bountiful, prosperous." Merry Monday was a 16c. term for "the Monday before Shrove Tuesday" (Mardi Gras).

1. I just wanted to wish you a merry Christmas.

我隻想祝福你聖誕快樂。

來自柯林斯例句

2. The phantom of the merry-go-round is just a local superstition.

旋轉木馬的幽靈隻不過是當地的迷信說法。

來自柯林斯例句

3. It hasn't stopped the British Navy proceeding on its merry way.

這沒有阻止英國海軍繼續得意揚揚地前進的步伐。

來自柯林斯例句

4. Neighbours approached their boundaries from opposite sides and made merry together.

鄰居們從對麵來到他們這邊，一起盡情歡樂。

來自柯林斯例句

5. Merry Christmas, everyone.

祝大家聖誕快樂！

來自柯林斯例句