refrain: Refrain ‘chorus of a song’ [14] and refrain ‘desist’ [14] are different words. The former comes via Old French refrain from Provençal refranh. This was a derivative of the verb refranhar, which went back via Vulgar Latin *refrangere to Latin refringere ‘break off’ (source of English refract [17]). The etymological notion underlying the word is that the chorus of a song ‘breaks off’ and then resumes. Refrain ‘desist’ is descended from Latin refrēnāre ‘hold back’, a compound verb formed from the prefix re- ‘back’ and frēnum ‘bridle’. It reached English via Old French refrener. => fraction, refract
refrain (v.)
mid-14c., from Old French refraigner "restrain, repress, keep in check" (12c., Modern French Réfréner), from Latin refrenare "to bridle, hold in with a bit, check, curb, keep down, control," from re- "back" (see re-) + frenare "restrain, furnish with a bridle," from frenum "a bridle." Related: Refrained; refraining.
refrain (n.)
late 14c., from Old French refrain "chorus" (13c.), alteration of refrait, noun use of past participle of refraindre "repeat," also "break off," from Vulgar Latin *refrangere "break off," alteration of Latin refringere "break up, break open" (see refraction) by influence of frangere "to break." Influenced in French by cognate Provençal refranhar "singing of birds, refrain." The notion is of something that causes a song to "break off" then resume. OED says not common before 19c.
雙語例句
1. Rosa's constant refrain is that she doesn't have a life.
羅莎總是重複的一句話就是她沒有像樣的生活。
來自柯林斯例句
2. Please refrain from smoking.
請勿吸煙。
來自《權威詞典》
3. I made a terrific effort to refrain from tears.
我狠著心把淚止住.
來自《現代漢英綜合大詞典》
4. How shall I refrain from tears when we part?
我們分手時,我怎麽能抑製住眼淚?
來自《現代漢英綜合大詞典》
5. Please refrain from smoking during the performance.