喜樂美語

One who serves and attends to others on behalf of a higher authority — originally a 'servant'. From this servant-image grow both the church minister (serving God and the congregation) and the government minister (serving the state).

可以想成「替更高的權威服事、照顧眾人的人」，最早的畫面比較像一個「僕人」。從這個服事的形象，一邊長出教會裡服事上帝與信眾的「牧師」，一邊長出替國家辦事、掌管一個部門的「部長」。表面上部長很高位，骨子裡這個字仍帶著「服務、效勞」的底色。

From the word’s history

From Latin 'minister' = inferior, servant, attendant (from 'minus' = less, i.e. subordinate), formed on the model of 'magister' (master). The 'one who serves' sense underlies both the church and the political uses.

源自拉丁文 minister，意為「下屬、僕人、侍從」，由 minus（較少、較低）而來，是相對於 magister（主人）造出來的字。這個「服事的人」的底義，正好串起後來的「牧師」與「部長」兩條用法。

etymonline.com — Minister (Etymology, Origin & Meaning), https://www.etymonline.com/word/minister

登入就可以看每一支怎麼連回核心畫面。

同家族的字

n複數 ministers

v過去式 ministered過去分詞 ministered-ing ministering三單 ministers

意思相反

ambassador

原始詞典資料8 筆記錄

以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，摘錄並精簡格式，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。

ministernoun詞源 1/ˈmɪn.əˌstɚ/

  • 1

    ChristianityProtestantismA person who is trained to preach, to perform religious ceremonies, and to afford pastoral care at a Protestant church.

    • The minister said a prayer on behalf of the entire congregation.
  • 2

    CatholicismChristianityRoman-CatholicismA person (either a layperson or an ordained clergy member) who is commissioned to perform some act on behalf of the Catholic Church.

  • 3

    governmentA politician who heads a ministry

    • He was newly appointed to be Minister of the Interior.
    • Ministers to kings, whose eyes, ears, and hands they are, must be answerable to God and man.
  • 4

    In diplomacy, the rank of diplomat directly below ambassador.

  • 5

    A servant; a subordinate; an officer or assistant of inferior rank; hence, an agent, an instrument.

    • […], I choſe / Camillo for the miniſter, to poyſon / My friend Polixenes: […]
    • And Moſes roſe vp, and his miniſter Ioſhua: and Moſes went vp into the mount of God.

ministerverb詞源 2/ˈmɪn.əˌstɚ/

  • 1

    To attend to (the needs of); to tend; to take care (of); to give aid; to give service.

  • 2

    To function as a clergyman or as the officiant in church worship.

  • 3

    archaicTo afford, to give, to supply.

    • I do vvell beleeue your Highneſſe, and did it to miniſter occaſion to theſe Gentlemen, […]
    • ([…] Now he that miniſtreth ſeede to the ſower, both miniſter bread for your foode, and multiply your ſeede ſowen, and encreaſe the fruites of your righteouſneſſe)

摘錄自 英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary，已精簡格式；依 CC BY-SA 4.0 授權使用，改動後的內容同樣以此授權提供。