forgive: [OE] Forgive is what is known technically as a ‘calque’ or loan translation – that is, it was created by taking the component parts of a foreign word, translating them literally, and then putting them back together to form a new word. In this case the foreign word was Latin perdōnāre ‘forgive’ (source of English pardon), which was a compound verb formed from per- ‘thoroughly’ and dōnāre ‘give’ (its underlying sense was ‘give wholeheartedly’). These two elements were translated in prehistoric Germanic times and assembled to give *fergeban, from which have come German vergeben, Dutch vergeven, and English forgive. => give
forgive (v.)
Old English forgiefan "give, grant, allow; remit (a debt), pardon (an offense)," also "give up" and "give in marriage" (past tense forgeaf, past participle forgifen); from for-, here probably "completely," + giefan "give" (see give (v.)).
The sense of "to give up desire or power to punish" (late Old English) is from use of such a compound as a Germanic loan-translation of Vulgar Latin *perdonare (Old Saxon fargeban, Dutch vergeven, German vergeben "to forgive," Gothic fragiban "to grant;" and see pardon (n.)). Related: Forgave; forgiven; forgiving.
双语例句
1. I can never, ever forgive him. I despise him.
我永远不会原谅他。我鄙视他。
来自柯林斯例句
2. I do hope you'll forgive me but I've got to leave.
我真的非常抱歉，我得走了。
来自柯林斯例句
3. The American Congress has agreed to forgive Egypt's military debt.
美国国会同意免除埃及的军事债务。
来自柯林斯例句
4. Would they forgive and forget — or show him the door?
他们会既往不咎吗——还是会对他下逐客令呢？
来自柯林斯例句
5. Hopefully she'llunderstand and forgive you, if she really loves you.