fragile: [17] Fragile and frail [13] are doublets: that is to say, they have the same ultimate source but have evolved in different ways. In this case the source was Latin fragilis ‘breakable’, a derivative of the same base (*frag-) as produced frangere ‘break’ (whence English fractious). Fragile was acquired either directly from the Latin adjective or via French fragile, but frail passed through Old French frale or frele on its way to English. Other English words to come from *frag- include fragment [15] (from Latin fragmentum) and saxifrage, literally ‘rockbreaker’. => fraction, fracture, fragment, frail, saxifrage
fragile (adj.)
1510s, "liable to sin, morally weak;" c. 1600, "liable to break;" a back-formation from fragility, or else from Middle French fragile (Old French fragele, 14c.), from Latin fragilis "easily broken," from root of frangere "to break" (see fraction). Transferred sense of "of frail constitution" (of persons) is from 1858.
雙語例句
1. He remains the anchor of the country's fragile political balance.
他仍然是維系該國脆弱的政治平衡的支柱。
來自柯林斯例句
2. The fragile economies of several southern African nations could be irreparably damaged.
一些南非國家的脆弱經濟可能會被徹底破壞，無法挽回。
來自柯林斯例句
3. She was small and fragile and looked incongruous in an army uniform.
她又小又弱，穿一身軍裝看起來很不協調。
來自柯林斯例句
4. Because of the extreme cold, the Antarctic is a uniquely fragile environment.
極度嚴寒造成了南極地區絕無僅有的脆弱環境。
來自柯林斯例句
5. He placed one hand heavily on a fragile, wobbling table.