slow: [OE] The etymological notion underlying slow is ‘dullness, sluggishness’; ‘lack of speed’ is a secondary development. The word goes back to a prehistoric Germanic *slæwaz, which also produced Swedish slö and Danish sløv ‘dull, blunt’. The original idea of ‘sluggishness’ is better preserved in the derivative sloth [12] (etymologically ‘slow-ness’). => sloth
slow (adj.)
Old English slaw "inactive, sluggish, torpid, lazy," also "not clever," from Proto-Germanic *slæwaz (cognates: Old Saxon sleu "blunt, dull," Middle Dutch slee, Dutch sleeuw "sour, tart, blunt," Old High German sleo "blunt, dull," Old Norse sljor, Danish sløv, Swedish slö "blunt, dull"). Meaning "taking a long time" is attested from early 13c. Meaning "dull, tedious" is from 1841. As an adverb c. 1500. The slows "imaginary disease to account for lethargy" is from 1843.
slow (v.)
1550s, "make slower;" 1590s, "go slower," from slow (adj.). Related: Slowed; slowing. Old English had slawian (intransitive) "to be or become slow, be sluggish," but the modern use appears to be a 16c. re-formation.
雙語例句
1. The slow-worm is in fact not a snake but a legless lizard.
蛇蜥其實不是蛇,而是無腳的蜥蜴。
來自柯林斯例句
2. Why were grown-ups always so stuffy and slow to recognize good ideas?
為什麽成年人總是那麽一本正經,對好點子反應那麽遲緩呢?
來自柯林斯例句
3. The lorry was travelling at 20mph in the slow lane.
卡車在慢車道上以20英裏的時速行駛。
來自柯林斯例句
4. He topped her glass up after complaining she was a slow drinker.