Old English n?fre "never," compound of ne "not, no" (from PIE root *ne- "no, not;" see un- (1)) + ?fre "ever" (see ever). Early used as an emphatic form of not (as still in never mind). Old English, unlike its modern descendant, had the useful custom of attaching ne to words to create their negatives, as in nabban for na habban "not to have."
Italian giammai, French jamais, Spanish jamas are from Latin iam "already" + magis "more;" thus literally "at any time, ever," originally with a negative, but this has been so thoroughly absorbed in sense as to be formally omitted.
Phrase never say die "don't despair" is from 1818. Never Never Land is first attested in Australia as a name for the uninhabited northern part of Queensland (1884), perhaps so called because anyone who had gone there once never wished to return. Meaning "imaginary, illusory or utopian place" first attested 1900 in American English.
雙語例句
1. Failure is never quite so frightening as regret do.
比失敗更令人恐懼的是懊悔。
來自金山詞霸 每日一句
2. "One thing you can never insure against is corruption among your staff."—"Agreed."
“永遠也防不勝防的就是員工內部的貪污腐敗。”——“同意。”
來自柯林斯例句
3. The public never had faith in his ability to handle the job.
公眾從來不相信他有能力勝任這一職位。
來自柯林斯例句
4. He has never exhibited the self-confidence, bordering on arrogance, of his predecessor.
他從未表現出他前任的那種近乎傲慢的自信。
來自柯林斯例句
5. He waited until all the luggage was cleared, but Paula's never appeared.