【英语学习】【WOTD】proliferate 释义/词源/示例

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proliferate v. [pruh-LIF-uh-rayt]

Definition

1: to grow or cause to grow by rapid production of new parts, cells, buds, or offspring
1： vi/vt. 通过快速地生成新的部位，细胞，花蕾，或后代而生长，或者导致快速生长

2: to increase or cause to increase in numbers as if by proliferating: multiply
2：在数量上快速增加，或者导致数量上的快速增加，就好象繁殖一样：繁殖

Did You Know？

Proliferate is a back-formation of proliferation. That means that proliferation came first (we borrowed it form French in the 18th century) and was later shortened to form the verb proliferate. Ultimately these terms come from Latin. The French adjective prolifère ("reproducing freely") comes from the Latin noun proles and the Latin combining form -fer. Proles means "offspring" or "descendants," and -fer means "bearing." Both of these Latin forms gave rise to numerous other English words. Prolific and proletarian ultimately come from proles; aquifer and words ending in -ferous have their roots in -fer.

词源演化：proles(后代) + -fer（承担） -> prolifère（自由繁殖的）-> proliferation(n. 繁殖)->proliferate(v. 繁殖)

动词proliferate是由名词proliferation通过逆构法而来的。这说明proliferation先出现（我们是在18世纪从法语借来的），随后才通过缩短名词产生了动词proliferate。最终这些词都是来自于拉丁语。法语形容词prolifère （自由繁殖的）由拉丁语名词proles与拉丁组合式（相当于词缀）-fer构成。proles的意思是“子孙”或者”后代“，-fer的意思是”承载，承担“。这两个拉丁词形为英语贡献了不少单词。prolific(多产的，作品丰富的)与proletarian(无产阶段的)最终都来自于proles，aquifer（含水层）以及以-ferous结尾的单词都来自于词根-fer。

注：back-formation：n. 【词】逆构法；prolific：多产的，作品丰富的；proletarian：无产阶级（蓋无产者无后代）；aquifer：含水层；补充几个-fer结尾的单词 conifer：针叶树（承载cone的数）；crucifer：十字花科植物，执十字架的人；umbellifer：伞形植物

Examples

"Muskies in Lake St. Clair are a world-class presence because local folks 30 years ago got smart. They agreed on a catch-and-release ethic. Catch the muskie. Put it back into the water. And watch a species proliferate."
--- Lynn Henning, The Detroit News, 26 Decemember 2018

St. Clair湖的北美狗鱼简直是一个世界级的存在，缘由自30年前当地居民的一项睿智的君子协定：捕到狗鱼即放生，观其繁衍。

注：muski：口语的maskinonge [鱼]北美狗鱼；presence：【生】存在度；world-class：世界级的；ethic：伦理，道德规范；local folk：当地居民
"The surge in the price of bitcoin, and of other cryptocurrencies, which proliferated amid a craze for initial coin offerings, prompted a commensurate explosion in the number of stories and conversations about this new kind of money ..."
--- Nicholas Paumgarten, The New Yorkers, 22 Oct. 2018

比特币以及其它加密货币价格的猛增，人们对比特币提供的价值更加狂热了，对这种新型货币的报道以及谈论数量也相应的呈现爆炸趋势。

注：surge：汹涌，猛增；bitcoin：比特币；cryptocurrency：加密货币；amid：在其中，在中间；craze：狂热，风尚，裂纹；prompt：激起，促进，推动，提示；commensurate：相称的，成比例的，适当的