humble

• adj. 谦逊的；简陋的；（级别或地位）低下的；不大的
• vt. 使谦恭；轻松打败（尤指强大的对手）；低声下气

来自古法语humble,卑微的，来自拉丁语humilis,尘土一样的，来自humus,土，尘土，词源同humus.引申词义卑微的，谦逊的。习语to eat humble pie,赔礼，道歉，来自umbles,动物内脏，词源同loin,lumbar.动物内脏在过去属于下等食品，是给仆人或奴仆等下等人吃的，因而引申该词义，同时，由于umbles对大多数人来说都属于陌生词，词义又恰好与humble吻合，因此，拼写最终被humble所代替。插入字母b,比较number,numerate.

humble

humble: [13] Etymologically, humble means ‘close to the ground’. It comes via Old French umble from Latin humilis ‘low, lowly’. This was a derivative of humus ‘earth’, which is related to English chameleon and human and was itself acquired by English in the 18th century. In postclassical times the verb humiliāre was formed from humilis, and English gets humiliate [16] from it.
=> chameleon, human, humiliate, humus

humble (adj.)

mid-13c., from Old French humble, earlier humele, from Latin humilis "lowly, humble," literally "on the ground," from humus "earth." Senses of "not self-asserting" and "of low birth or rank" were both in Middle English Related: Humbly; humbleness.

Don't be so humble; you're not that great. [Golda Meir]

To eat humble pie (1830) is from umble pie (1640s), pie made from umbles "edible inner parts of an animal" (especially deer), considered a low-class food. The similar sense of similar-sounding words (the "h" of humble was not pronounced then) converged in the pun. Umbles, meanwhile, is Middle English numbles "offal" (with loss of n- through assimilation into preceding article).

humble (v.)

late 14c. in the intransitive sense of "to render oneself humble;" late 15c. in the transitive sense of "to lower (someone) in dignity;" see humble (adj.). Related: Humbled; humbling.

1. Now experts are extolling the virtues of the humble potato.

现在专家们都在赞美其貌不扬的马铃薯的种种好处。

来自柯林斯例句

2. There are restaurants, both humble and expensive, that specialize in them.

专门做这些菜的餐馆既有毫不起眼的也有价格昂贵的。

来自柯林斯例句

3. Spyros Latsis started his career as a humble fisherman in the Aegean.

斯皮罗斯·拉齐斯的第一份职业是爱琴海上一名地位卑贱的渔夫。

来自柯林斯例句

4. He is still the butt of cruel jokes about his humble origins.

他仍然因出身低微而被人无情嘲笑。

来自柯林斯例句

5. Anson was forced to eat humble pie and publicly apologise to her.

安森被迫认错并公开向她道歉。

来自柯林斯例句