predecessor: [14] Etymologically, predecessor is first cousin to decease, but it has never taken on decease’s connotations of ‘dying’. Both go back to Latin dēcēdere ‘go away’ (a compound verb based on cēdere ‘go away’, source of English cede, concede, precede, etc), whose derived noun dēcessus ‘departure’ came to be used euphemistically for ‘death’ – whence English decease [14].
Combination with the prefix prae- ‘before’ with the derived dēcessor ‘leaver’ produced praedēcessor ‘one who leaves before’. Traces of this original meaning linger in English predecessor (acquired via Old French predecesseur) in the notion of ‘one who left office before the present incumbent took over’. => cede, concede, decease, precede, proceed, succeed
predecessor (n.)
late 14c., "one who has held an office or position before the present holder," from Old French predecesseor "forebear" and directly from Late Latin praedecessorem (nominative praedecessor), from Latin prae "before" (see pre-) + decessor "retiring official," from decess-, past participle stem of decedere "go away," also "die" (see decease (n.)). Meaning "ancestor, forefather" is recorded from c. 1400.
雙語例句
1. He has never exhibited the self-confidence, bordering on arrogance, of his predecessor.
他從未表現出他前任的那種近乎傲慢的自信。
來自柯林斯例句
2. His style could scarcely be further removed from that of his predecessor.
他的風格幾乎和他的前輩如出一轍。
來自柯林斯例句
3. He's backing away from the policies and style of his predecessor.
他正脫離其前任的政策和風格。
來自柯林斯例句
4. The car is some 40mm shorter than its predecessor.
這輛轎車比原先的車型短了約40毫米。
來自柯林斯例句
5. He is seen as more business-minded than his predecessor.