DISCUSSION 的字源

某一天的字彙課上，碰到了「DIS-」開頭的單字。大家紛紛提出例子，像是 disable，disagree，disappear，dishonest。這些字的組成都不難分析。

接著有人提出 discuss 一詞，不才我卻無法分析，可能是因為這個字是很早期學到的，從沒想過它有什麼來歷。

遇到這種被考倒的時候，我就有用功的衝動。（Weirdo!）

查了幾種資料，說法都一致。當然，etymonline.com 算是最詳盡的。抄錄如下：

discussion (n.)

mid-14c., "examination, investigation, judicial trial," from Old French discussion "discussion, examination, investigation, legal trial," from Late Latin discussionem (nominative discussio) "examination, discussion," in classical Latin, "a shaking," fromdiscussus, past participle of discutere "strike asunder, break up," from dis- "apart" (see dis-) + quatere "to shake" (see quash). Meaning "a talking over, debating" in English first recorded mid-15c. Sense evolution in Latin appears to have been from "smash apart" to "scatter, disperse," then in post-classical times (via the mental process involved) to "investigate, examine," then to "debate."

字源學者，行文採取的是倒敘法，且讓我們一小口一小口的吞食：

1. mid-14c., "examination, investigation, judicial trial,"

  該字在英文出現的最早記錄是 14 世紀中期，意義是「檢視，調查，司法審判」

2. from Old French discussion "discussion, examination, investigation, legal trial,"

  源自於古法語（註：9~14 世紀）

3. from Late Latin discussionem (nominative discussio) "examination, discussion,"

  源自於晚期拉丁語（註：3~7 世紀）

以上時期，discussion 的意義相當一致。不過…

4. in classical Latin, "a shaking,"

  在古典拉丁文時期（註：西元前 70 年至西元後 130 年），是指「搖晃」

5. from discussus, past participle of discutere "strike asunder, break up,"

  是拉丁文動詞 discutere 的過去分詞

6. from dis- "apart" (see dis-) + quatere "to shake" (see quash).

  而該動詞則是由字首 dis-「分開，變成碎片」和字根 quatere 「搖晃」組合的。

7. Meaning "a talking over, debating" in English first recorded mid-15c.

  discussion「討論，辯論」一義最早出現的記錄是 15 世紀中。

8. Sense evolution in Latin appears to have been from "smash apart" to "scatter, disperse," then in post-classical times (via the mental process involved) to "investigate, examine," then to "debate."

重點來了！這個意義是如何演變來的？可能是從「砸碎」，變成「四散」，再變成（思考過程）「調查，檢視」，最後「辯論」。