govern: [13] Politicians’ clichés about ‘steering the ship of state’ are no new thing; for the distant ancestor of English govern is the Greek verb kubernan ‘steer a ship’ (source also of English cybernetics). It developed the metaphorical sense ‘guide, rule’, and it was this that passed with it via Latin gubernāre and Old French governer into English. The Latin form is preserved in gubernatorial ‘of a governor’ [18]. => cybernetics, gubernatorial
govern (v.)
late 13c., "to rule with authority," from Old French governer "steer, be at the helm of; govern, rule, command, direct" (11c., Modern French gouverner), from Latin gubernare "to direct, rule, guide, govern" (source also of Spanish gobernar, Italian governare), originally "to steer, to pilot," a nautical borrowing from Greek kybernan "to steer or pilot a ship, direct as a pilot," figuratively "to guide, govern" (the root of cybernetics). The -k- to -g- sound shift is perhaps via the medium of Etruscan. Intransitive sense from 1590s. Related: Governed; governing.
雙語例句
1. The republics began asserting their right to govern themselves.
各加盟共和國開始要求獲得自治權(quán)。
來自柯林斯例句
2. The govern-ment will continue to try to regenerate inner city areas.
政府將繼續(xù)努力重建內(nèi)城地區(qū)。
來自柯林斯例句
3. The govern-ment gave 30 million marks for new school books.
政府撥款3000萬馬克用于購置學(xué)校的新教材。
來自柯林斯例句
4. They were utterly unfit to govern America.
他們完全沒有能力治理美國。
來自柯林斯例句
5. The govern-ment cannot afford to alienate either group.