You can think of 'tend' as leaning or stretching in one direction rather than another. Something that 'tends' isn't standing straight up in the middle — it keeps slanting the same way, so you can guess which way it will go.
From the word’s history
From Latin tendere 'to stretch, aim, direct oneself' (the same root as 'tension' and 'tendency'). To tend is to be stretched or aimed toward a direction — and one branch, the 'look after' sense, comes from 'attend' (ad- 'toward' + tendere), literally stretching your attention toward something.
來自拉丁文 tendere(拉伸、瞄準、朝某方向使勁),和 tension(張力)、tendency(傾向)同源。tend 就是「被朝某方向拉過去、瞄過去」。其中「照料」這一支,源自 attend(ad-「朝向」+ tendere),字面是把你的注意力伸向某物去守著它。
etymonline.com/word/tend, etymonline.com/word/attend (Online Etymology Dictionary)
登入就可以看每一支怎麼連回核心畫面。
原始詞典資料10 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。
tendverb詞源 1/ˈtɛnd/
- 1
lawTo make a tender of; to offer or tender.
- 2
To be likely, or probable to do something, or to have a certain habit or leaning.
- They tend to go out on Saturdays.
- It tends to snow here in winter.
- 3
To contribute to or toward some outcome.
- The Lords in 1722 declared that annexing such Clauses tends to the destruction of this government. And yet there are such bills every session and you pass them.
tendverb詞源 2/ˈtɛnd/
- 1
To look after (e.g. an ill person.)
- We need to tend to the garden, which has become a mess.
- 2
To accompany as an assistant or protector; to care for the wants of; to look after; to watch; to guard.
- Shepherds tend their flocks.
- There's not a sparrow or a wren, / There's not a blade of autumn grain, / Which the four seasons do not tend / And tides of life and increase lend.
- 3
To wait (upon), as attendants or servants; to serve; to attend.
- Was he not companion with the riotous knights / That tend upon my father?
- 4
obsoleteTo await; to expect.
- Had I not. Four or five women once that tended me?
- 5
obsoleteTo be attentive to; to note carefully; to attend to.
- Being to descend / A ladder much in height, I did not tend / My way well down.
- 6
nauticaltransportTo manage (an anchored vessel) when the tide turns, to prevent it from entangling the cable when swinging.
tendverb詞源 3/ˈtɛnd/
- 1
dialectalTo kindle; ignite; set on fire; light; inflame; burn.
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。