in-between (n.)
1815年,"一个间隔"; 也指"介入的人",是介词短语的名词用法,来自 in(副词)+ between。相关词汇: In-betweener(1912); in-betweenity(1927)。
in-between 的相关词汇
中古英语 bitwene,源自古英语 betweonum,麦西亚方言 betwinum,"在分隔的空间中,中途,在其中; 轮流地",由 bi- "通过"(参见 by)+ tweonum "两个每个" 的复数形式 *tweon(比较哥特语 tweih-nai "两个每个"; 源自 PIE 词根 *dwo- "两个")。
Between is literally applicable only to two objects; but it may be and commonly is used of more than two where they are spoken of distributively, or so that they can be thought of as divided into two parts or categories, or with reference to the action or being of each individually as compared with that of any other or all the others. When more than two objects are spoken of collectively or in divisibly, among is the proper word. [Century Dictionary]
Between 只能字面上适用于两个对象; 但通常情况下,它可以用于超过两个对象,前提是它们被分别讨论,或者可以将它们想象为分为两部分或两个类别,或者与每个对象的行为或存在相比较,而不是与其他对象或所有其他对象相比较。当涉及到集体或不可分割地讨论超过两个对象时, among 是正确的词语。[世纪词典]
In all senses, between has been from its earliest appearance, extended to more than two. [OED]
在所有意义上, between 从最早出现时就被扩展到超过两个对象。[OED]
Between a rock and a hard place "陷入困境,处于困难境地" 源自20世纪40年代,最初是牛仔俚语(早期是 between the beetle (hammer) and the block,19世纪末)。Between-whiles "间隔地" 源自17世纪70年代。
“in”的中古英语合并了古英语 in(介词)“在、进入、在…上、在…中; 关于、在…期间”和古英语 inne(副词)“在…内部、在…里面”,源自原始日耳曼语 *in(也源自古弗里西亚语、荷兰语、德语、哥特语 in 和古诺尔斯语 i),源自 PIE 词根 *en “在”。这个简单的形式在中古英语中承担了两种意义。
in 和 on 的意义区分来自于中古英语后期, in 和 at 的用法细微差别仍区分英式英语和美式英语(in school/at school)。有时在中古英语中缩短为 i。
名词“影响、接近(权力或当局)”的意义,例如 have an in with,最早记录于1929年的美式英语。被 in for it “注定会遇到不愉快的事情”来自于1690年代。被 in with “与…友好相处”来自于1670年代。Ins and outs “行动或过程的复杂性、复杂性”来自于1660年代。In-and-out(名词)“交媾”可追溯至1610年代。