certain: [13] Certain comes ultimately from Latin certus ‘sure, fixed’, which derived from the past participle of the verb cernere ‘decide’. The Latin adjective was extended in Vulgar Latin to *certānus, which passed into English via Old French certain. Other English words based on certus include certify [14] (from late Latin certificāre) and its derivative certificate, and certitude [15] (from late Latin certitūdō). => crime, crisis, decree, discern, discrete, discriminate, excrement, riddle, secret
certain (adj.)
c. 1300, "determined, fixed," from Old French certain "reliable, sure, assured" (12c.), from Vulgar Latin *certanus, from Latin certus "sure, fixed, settled, determined" (also source of Italian certo, Spanish cierto), originally a variant past participle of cernere "to distinguish, decide," literally "to sift, separate" (see crisis).
Of persons, "full of confidence in one's knowledge or judgment," from mid-14c. Euphemistic use (of a certain age, etc.) attested from mid-18c. Certainer, certainest were common to c. 1750, but have fallen from proper use for some reason. Expression for certain "assuredly" is attested by early 14c.
雙語例句
1. There is a certain impatience among some of the soldiers.
有些士兵有點兒不耐煩。
來自柯林斯例句
2. Over the years he's demonstrated a certain prescience in foreign affairs.
這些年來，他已經在外交事務方面表現出一定的預見性。
來自柯林斯例句
3. I feel certain that it will all turn out well.
我覺得最后肯定會皆大歡喜。
來自柯林斯例句
4. There are certain things he does that drive me mad.
他的某些舉動讓我很生氣。
來自柯林斯例句
5. Parents can programme the machine not to turn on at certain times.