govern: [13] Politicians’ clichés about ‘steering the ship of state’ are no new thing; for the distant ancestor of English govern is the Greek verb kubernan ‘steer a ship’ (source also of English cybernetics). It developed the metaphorical sense ‘guide, rule’, and it was this that passed with it via Latin gubernāre and Old French governer into English. The Latin form is preserved in gubernatorial ‘of a governor’ [18]. => cybernetics, gubernatorial
govern (v.)
late 13c., "to rule with authority," from Old French governer "steer, be at the helm of; govern, rule, command, direct" (11c., Modern French gouverner), from Latin gubernare "to direct, rule, guide, govern" (source also of Spanish gobernar, Italian governare), originally "to steer, to pilot," a nautical borrowing from Greek kybernan "to steer or pilot a ship, direct as a pilot," figuratively "to guide, govern" (the root of cybernetics). The -k- to -g- sound shift is perhaps via the medium of Etruscan. Intransitive sense from 1590s. Related: Governed; governing.
实用例句
1. The republics began asserting their right to govern themselves.
各加盟共和国开始要求获得自治权。来自柯林斯例句
2. The govern-ment will continue to try to regenerate inner city areas.
政府将继续努力重建内城地区。来自柯林斯例句
3. The govern-ment gave 30 million marks for new school books.
政府拨款3000万马克用于购置学校的新教材。来自柯林斯例句
4. They were utterly unfit to govern America.
他们完全没有能力治理美国。来自柯林斯例句
5. The govern-ment cannot afford to alienate either group.
