| 词源 |
affair n.c. 1300, afere, "what one has to do, ordinary business," from Anglo-French afere, Old French afaire "business, event; rank, estate" (12c., Modern French affaire), from the infinitive phrase à faire "to do," from Latin ad "to" (see ad-) + facere "to do, make" (from PIE root *dhe- "to set, put"). Originally a Northern word according to OED, it was brought into general use and given a French spelling by Caxton (late 15c.). The general sense of "vague proceedings" (in romance, war, etc.) is attested by 1702. The meaning "an affair of the heart; a passionate episode" is from French affaire de coeur (itself attested as a French phrase in English from 1809); to have an affair with someone in this sense is by 1726, earlier have an affair of love: 'Tis manifeſtly contrary to the Law of Nature, that one Woman ſhould cohabit or have an Affair of Love with more than one Man at the ſame time. ["Pufendorf's Law of Nature and Nations," transl. J. Spavan, London, 1716] Related: Affairs. updated on September 15, 2022 |