Monday, May 21, 2018

認識語言學

  語言學的英文是:Linguistics。linguistics 是 linguist + -ics。其中字尾 -ics 是字尾 -ic
的複數型式,而 -ic 是源自於拉丁字尾 -ica,又輾轉源自於希臘字尾 -ika,通常是名詞字尾,對應於形容詞字尾 -ic-ical,通常用來表達事實、知識、或原則的集合體。在此,指稱研究的領域,也就是研究 linguist(語言) 的領域。總言之,語言學(英語:linguistics)是一門關於人類語言的科學研究。

  在兩百年前,語言學的內容只單純地研究語言的文法(grammar);隨著時間的演進,語言學包含了數個分支──

  • 語音學(phonetics):研究語音的產生、語音的聲學、以及語音的聽力
  • 音系學(phonology):研究聲音的模式
  • 構詞學,又稱為形態學(morphology):研究字詞的結構
  • 語法學(syntax):研究句子的結構
  • 語意學(semantics):研究語義(含義)
  • 語用學(pragmatics):研究語境
如今,語言學的分支更是日新月異,其中計算語言學(computational linguistics)和語料庫語言學(corpus linguistics)更是和現代的電腦科技息息相關。

  語言學是很令人感到有趣的一門學問。它是經驗傳承、知識累積、以及文字產生的基石。人的一生就是被語言包圍著,可是人們對語言的認識卻是很少很少。當我們對語言開始產生認識,並且一步一步地深入其中後,我們的人生也隨之改變了。在智慧手機流行普遍的時代,語音對答更是呈現了令人驚異的有趣。也許,慢慢地可以用短短的認識,把這有趣的人生部份逐漸地串接起來。

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

字詞→Oxymoron

ox‧y‧mo‧ron :單數名詞,複數型有兩種寫法:oxymora 或 oxymorons。
這字的意思就是,一種譬喻的用法,把兩種看起來不協調或是相反字義的字放在一起組合成詞。下面是一些例子:
  • to make haste slowly﹝動作慢慢地加快﹞
  • ground pilot﹝地面飛行員,無意的錯誤﹞
  • "And faith unfaithful kept him falsely true."﹝此句出自Tennyson's Idylls of the King
 通常會出現的形式為〝形容詞+名詞〞:
  • cruel kindness﹝;殘忍的慈悲﹞
  • Dark light﹝暗光﹞
  • Living dead﹝活死人﹞
  • Guest host (also: Permanent guest host) ﹝客居主人(也作:永久客居主人)﹞
較少的組合是〝名詞+動詞〞:
  • The silence whistles.﹝此句出自 Nathan Alterman's Summer Night
  • Sounds of Silence﹝唱片的抬頭﹞
oxymoron不限於字的意義組合,有時也可以是成對的片語或句子所成的意義。

參看:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxymoron

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

簡介「線上文學網站」 A Short Introduction To 「The Literature Network Online」

線上文學網站,提供可搜尋的線上文學作品,目前包括了三千本完整的書,超過了四千個短篇故事和詩文,由超過兩百五十位作者所作。文學作品用作者的名字來做搜尋。

宗教作品有五類:The King James Bible、The Koran (Al-Qur'an)、The Religion of the Samurai、Tao Teh King﹝道德經﹞、及Hebraic Literature。不是很確定沒有佛教的作品。

馬克吐溫、沙士比亞、勞倫斯、‧‧‧等等作家的文學作品都有被收藏在內,喜歡英文文學和美國文學的人,這是一個很好的線上資源。

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Interesting Idioms

中文有句諺語:『水能載舟,亦能覆舟。』英文中是否有相對應的成語呢?今天在Metro New York看到頭版的標題:『Live by the sword, die by the sword.』這真是絕佳的配對句了。

『Live by the sword, die by the sword.』 = 『水能載舟,亦能覆舟。』

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Adjectives ﹝形容詞﹞ ﹝형용사﹞

Adjectives are words that, in a grammatical sense, describe or modify nouns in a sentence. The Articles, such as aan, and the, are adjectives. My, your, his, her, its, our, and their are the English possessive adjectives, used with nouns to show possession or ownership.

Adjectives are often used to describe the degree of comparison. There are three forms called degrees of comparison: the positive, the comparative, the superlative.

  • This student is tall. (positive)
  • That student is taller. (comparative)
  • The last student in the row is the tallest. (superlative)

Irregular Comparative and Superlative Forms
goodbetterbest
badworseworst
littlelessleast
much
many
some
moremost
farfurtherfurthest


Proper adjectives are derived from proper nouns. They commonly describe something in terms of nationality, religious affiliation, or culture. Like proper nouns, proper adjectives have their first letter capitalized. Some examples of proper adjectives include:
American
French
Japanese
Latino
Asian
Australian
Catholic
Lutheran
Jewish

The following lists are just a sampling of adjectives in the English language. They are categorized by the type of attribute they describe.
Appearance Adjectives
adorable
beautiful
clean
drab
elegant
fancy
glamorous
handsome
long
magnificent
old-fashioned
plain
quaint
sparkling
ugliest
unsightly
wide-eyed

Color Adjectives
red
orange
yellow
green
blue
purple
gray
black
white
Condition Adjectives
alive
better
careful
clever
dead
easy
famous
gifted
helpful
important
inexpensive
mushy
odd
powerful
rich
shy
tender
uninterested
vast
wrong.

Feelings (Bad) Adjectives
angry
bewildered
clumsy
defeated
embarrassed
fierce
grumpy
helpless
itchy
jealous
lazy
mysterious
nervous
obnoxious
panicky
repulsive
scary
thoughtless
uptight
worried

Feelings (Good) Adjectives
agreeable
brave
calm
delightful
eager
faithful
gentle
happy
jolly
kind
lively
nice
obedient
proud
relieved
silly
thankful
victorious
witty
zealous

Shape Adjectives
broad
chubby
crooked
curved
deep
flat
high
hollow
low
narrow
round
shallow
skinny
square
steep
straight
wide.

Size Adjectives
big
colossal
fat
gigantic
great
huge
immense
large
little
mammoth
massive
miniature
petite
puny
scrawny
short
small
tall
teeny
teeny-tiny
tiny

Sound Adjectives
cooing
deafening
faint
hissing
loud
melodic
noisy
purring
quiet
raspy
screeching
thundering
voiceless
whispering

Time Adjectives
ancient
brief
early
fast
late
long
modern
old
old-fashioned
quick
rapid
short
slow
swift
young

Taste/Touch Adjectives
bitter
delicious
fresh
greasy
juicy
hot
icy
loose
melted
nutritious
prickly
rainy
rotten
salty
sticky
strong
sweet
tart
tasteless
uneven
weak
wet
wooden
yummy

Touch Adjectives
boiling
breeze
broken
bumpy
chilly
cold
cool
creepy
crooked
cuddly
curly
damaged
damp
dirty
dry
dusty
filthy
flaky
fluffy
freezing
hot
warm
wet

Quantity Adjectives
abundant
empty
few
full
heavy
light
many
numerous
sparse
substantial



Comprehensive List of Adjectives

A
aback
abaft
abandoned
abashed
aberrant
abhorrent
abiding
abject
ablaze
able
abnormal
aboard
aboriginal
abortive
abounding
abrasive
abrupt
absent
absorbed
absorbing
abstracted
absurd
abundant
abusive
acceptable
accessible
accidental
accurate
acid
acidic
acoustic
acrid
actually
ad hoc
adamant
adaptable
addicted
adhesive
adjoining
adorable
adventurous
afraid
aggressive
agonizing
agreeable
ahead
ajar
alcoholic
alert
alike
alive
alleged
alluring
aloof
amazing
ambiguous
ambitious
amuck
amused
amusing
ancient
angry
animated
annoyed
annoying
anxious
apathetic
aquatic
aromatic
arrogant
ashamed
aspiring
assorted
astonishing
attractive
auspicious
automatic
available
average
awake
aware
awesome
awful
axiomatic

B
bad
barbarous
bashful
bawdy
beautiful
befitting
belligerent
beneficial
bent
berserk
best
better
bewildered
big
billowy
bite-sized
bitter
bizarre
black
black-and-white
bloody
blue
blue-eyed
blushing
boiling
boorish
bored
boring
bouncy
boundless
brainy
brash
brave
brawny
breakable
breezy
brief
bright
bright
broad
broken
brown
bumpy
burly
bustling
busy
C
cagey
calculating
callous
calm
capable
capricious
careful
careless
caring
cautious
ceaseless
certain
changeable
charming
cheap
cheerful
chemical
chief
childlike
chilly
chivalrous
chubby
chunky
clammy
classy
clean
clear
clever
cloistered
cloudy
closed
clumsy
cluttered
coherent
cold
colorful
colossal
combative
comfortable
common
complete
complex
concerned
condemned
confused
conscious
cooing
cool
cooperative
coordinated
courageous
cowardly
crabby
craven
crazy
creepy
crooked
crowded
cruel
cuddly
cultured
cumbersome
curious
curly
curved
curvy
cut
cute
cute
cynical
D
daffy
daily
damaged
damaging
damp
dangerous
dapper
dark
dashing
dazzling
dead
deadpan
deafening
dear
debonair
decisive
decorous
deep
deeply
defeated
defective
defiant
delicate
delicious
delightful
demonic
delirious
dependent
depressed
deranged
descriptive
deserted
detailed
determined
devilish
didactic
different
difficult
diligent
direful
dirty
disagreeable
disastrous
discreet
disgusted
disgusting
disillusioned
dispensable
distinct
disturbed
divergent
dizzy
domineering
doubtful
drab
draconian
dramatic
dreary
drunk
dry
dull
dusty
dusty
dynamic
dysfunctional
E
eager
early
earsplitting
earthy
easy
eatable
economic
educated
efficacious
efficient
eight
elastic
elated
elderly
electric
elegant
elfin
elite
embarrassed
eminent
empty
enchanted
enchanting
encouraging
endurable
energetic
enormous
entertaining
enthusiastic
envious
equable
equal
erect
erratic
ethereal
evanescent
evasive
even
excellent
excited
exciting
exclusive
exotic
expensive
extra-large
extra-small
exuberant
exultant
F
fabulous
faded
faint
fair
faithful
fallacious
false
familiar
famous
fanatical
fancy
fantastic
far
far-flung
fascinated
fast
fat
faulty
fearful
fearless
feeble
feigned
female
fertile
festive
few
fierce
filthy
fine
finicky
first
five
fixed
flagrant
flaky
flashy
flat
flawless
flimsy
flippant
flowery
fluffy
fluttering
foamy
foolish
foregoing
forgetful
fortunate
four
frail
fragile
frantic
free
freezing
frequent
fresh
fretful
friendly
frightened
frightening
full
fumbling
functional
funny
furry
furtive
future
futuristic
fuzzy

G
gabby
gainful
gamy
gaping
garrulous
gaudy
general
gentle
giant
giddy
gifted
gigantic
glamorous
gleaming
glib
glistening
glorious
glossy
godly
good
goofy
gorgeous
graceful
grandiose
grateful
gratis
gray
greasy
great
greedy
green
grey
grieving
groovy
grotesque
grouchy
grubby
gruesome
grumpy
guarded
guiltless
gullible
gusty
guttural
H
habitual
half
hallowed
halting
handsome
handsomely
handy
hanging
hapless
happy
hard
hard-to-find
harmonious
harsh
hateful
heady
healthy
heartbreaking
heavenly
heavy
hellish
helpful
helpless
hesitant
hideous
high
highfalutin
high-pitched
hilarious
hissing
historical
holistic
hollow
homeless
homely
honorable
horrible
hospitable
hot
huge
hulking
humdrum
humorous
hungry
hurried
hurt
hushed
husky
hypnotic
hysterical
I
icky
icy
idiotic
ignorant
ill
illegal
ill-fated
ill-informed
illustrious
imaginary
immense
imminent
impartial
imperfect
impolite
important
imported
impossible
incandescent
incompetent
inconclusive
industrious
incredible
inexpensive
infamous
innate
innocent
inquisitive
insidious
instinctive
intelligent
interesting
internal
invincible
irate
irritating
itchy
J
jaded
jagged
jazzy
jealous
jittery
jobless
jolly
joyous
judicious
juicy
jumbled
jumpy
juvenile
K
kaput
keen
kind
kindhearted
kindly
knotty
knowing
knowledgeable
known
L
labored
lackadaisical
lacking
lame
lamentable
languid
large
last
late
laughable
lavish
lazy
lean
learned
left
legal
lethal
level
lewd
light
like
likeable
limping
literate
little
lively
lively
living
lonely
long
longing
long-term
loose
lopsided
loud
loutish
lovely
loving
low
lowly
lucky
ludicrous
lumpy
lush
luxuriant
lying
lyrical



M
macabre
macho
maddening
madly
magenta
magical
magnificent
majestic
makeshift
male
malicious
mammoth
maniacal
many
marked
massive
married
marvelous
material
materialistic
mature
mean
measly
meaty
medical
meek
mellow
melodic
melted
merciful
mere
messy
mighty
military
milky
mindless
miniature
minor
miscreant
misty
mixed
moaning
modern
moldy
momentous
motionless
mountainous
muddled
mundane
murky
mushy
mute
mysterious


N
naive
nappy
narrow
nasty
natural
naughty
nauseating
near
neat
nebulous
necessary
needless
needy
neighborly
nervous
new
next
nice
nifty
nimble
nine
nippy
noiseless
noisy
nonchalant
nondescript
nonstop
normal
nostalgic
nosy
noxious
null
numberless
numerous
nutritious
nutty
O
oafish
obedient
obeisant
obese
obnoxious
obscene
obsequious
observant
obsolete
obtainable
oceanic
odd
offbeat
old
old-fashioned
omniscient
one
onerous
open
opposite
optimal
orange
ordinary
organic
ossified
outgoing
outrageous
outstanding
oval
overconfident
overjoyed
overrated
overt
overwrought
P
painful
painstaking
pale
paltry
panicky
panoramic
parallel
parched
parsimonious
past
pastoral
pathetic
peaceful
penitent
perfect
periodic
permissible
perpetual
petite
petite
phobic
physical
picayune
pink
piquant
placid
plain
plant
plastic
plausible
pleasant
plucky
pointless
poised
polite
political
poor
possessive
possible
powerful
precious
premium
present
pretty
previous
pricey
prickly
private
probable
productive
profuse
protective
proud
psychedelic
psychotic
public
puffy
pumped
puny
purple
purring
pushy
puzzled
puzzling



Q
quack
quaint
quarrelsome
questionable
quick
quickest
quiet
quirky
quixotic
quizzical



R
rabid
racial
ragged
rainy
rambunctious
rampant
rapid
rare
raspy
ratty
ready
real
rebel
receptive
recondite
red
redundant
reflective
regular
relieved
remarkable
reminiscent
repulsive
resolute
resonant
responsible
rhetorical
rich
right
righteous
rightful
rigid
ripe
ritzy
roasted
robust
romantic
roomy
rotten
rough
round
royal
ruddy
rude
rural
rustic
ruthless
S
sable
sad
safe
salty
same
sassy
satisfying
savory
scandalous
scarce
scared
scary
scattered
scientific
scintillating
scrawny
screeching
second
second-hand
secret
secretive
sedate
seemly
selective
selfish
separate
serious
shaggy
shaky
shallow
sharp
shiny
shivering
shocking
short
shrill
shut
shy
sick
silent
silent
silky
silly
simple
simplistic
sincere
six
skillful
skinny
sleepy
slim
slimy
slippery
sloppy
slow
small
smart
smelly
smiling
smoggy
smooth
sneaky
snobbish
snotty
soft
soggy
solid
somber
sophisticated
sordid
sore
sore
sour
sparkling
special
spectacular
spicy
spiffy
spiky
spiritual
spiteful
splendid
spooky
spotless
spotted
spotty
spurious
squalid
square
squealing
squeamish
staking
stale
standing
statuesque
steadfast
steady
steep
stereotyped
sticky
stiff
stimulating
stingy
stormy
straight
strange
striped
strong
stupendous
stupid
sturdy
subdued
subsequent
substantial
successful
succinct
sudden
sulky
super
superb
superficial
supreme
swanky
sweet
sweltering
swift
symptomatic
synonymous




T
taboo
tacit
tacky
talented
tall
tame
tan
tangible
tangy
tart
tasteful
tasteless
tasty
tawdry
tearful
tedious
teeny
teeny-tiny
telling
temporary
ten
tender
tense
tense
tenuous
terrible
terrific
tested
testy
thankful
therapeutic
thick
thin
thinkable
third
thirsty
thirsty
thoughtful
thoughtless
threatening
three
thundering
tidy
tight
tightfisted
tiny
tired
tiresome
toothsome
torpid
tough
towering
tranquil
trashy
tremendous
tricky
trite
troubled
truculent
true
truthful
two
typical
U
ubiquitous
ugliest
ugly
ultra
unable
unaccountable
unadvised
unarmed
unbecoming
unbiased
uncovered
understood
undesirable
unequal
unequaled
uneven
unhealthy
uninterested
unique
unkempt
unknown
unnatural
unruly
unsightly
unsuitable
untidy
unused
unusual
unwieldy
unwritten
upbeat
uppity
upset
uptight
used
useful
useless
utopian
utter
uttermost


V
vacuous
vagabond
vague
valuable
various
vast
vengeful
venomous
verdant
versed
victorious
vigorous
violent
violet
vivacious
voiceless
volatile
voracious
vulgar
W
wacky
waggish
waiting
wakeful
wandering
wanting
warlike
warm
wary
wasteful
watery
weak
wealthy
weary
well-groomed
well-made
well-off
well-to-do
wet
whimsical
whispering
white
whole
wholesale
wicked
wide
wide-eyed
wiggly
wild
willing
windy
wiry
wise
wistful
witty
woebegone
womanly
wonderful
wooden
woozy
workable
worried
worthless
wrathful
wretched
wrong
wry


Y
yellow
yielding
young
youthful
yummy
Z
zany
zealous
zesty
zippy
zonked


References:

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

受格代名詞的使用提醒

代名詞﹝Pronoun﹞就是代替主詞的字。代名詞有三類:主格代名詞﹝Subject Pronoun﹞、受格代名詞﹝Object Pronoun﹞、以及所有格代名詞﹝Prossessive Pronoun﹞。
  • 主格代名詞:I(我), you(你、妳), he(他), she(她), it(它), we(我們) 和 they(他們、她們、它們)
  • 受格代名詞:me(我), you(你、妳), him(他), her(她), it(它), us(我們) 和 them(他們、她們、它們).
  • 所有格代名詞:my(我的), your(你的、妳的), his(他的), hers(她的), its(它的), ours(我們的) 和 theirs(他們的、她們的、它們的).
主格代名詞,顧名思義,就是拿來當作主詞用的代名詞。當放在To be動詞(is, are, was, were, am, and will be)後面時,可以用作主詞的簡稱。然而大多數人使用口語英文時,往往習慣在To be動詞後面使用受格代名詞,而非主格代名詞。許多教英語的老師支持(或者至少是屈服於)這種在寫作英文和口語英文之間的差異趨勢。