enemy: [13] An enemy is literally someone who is ‘not a friend’. The word comes, via Old French enemi, from Latin inimīcus, a compound formed from the prefix in- ‘not’ and amīcus ‘friend’ (source of English amicable and related to English amiable). The late Latin derivative inimīcālis produced English inimical [17]. => amicable, inimical
enemy (n.)
early 13c., "one hateful toward and intent on harming (someone)," from Old French enemi (12c., Modern French ennemi), earlier inimi (9c.) "enemy, adversary, foe; demon, the Devil," from Latin inimicus "an enemy," literally "an unfriend," noun use of adjective meaning "hostile, unfriendly" (source also of Italian nemico, Catalan enamic, Spanish enemigo, Portuguese inimigo), from in- "not" (see in- (1)) + amicus "friend" related to amare "to love" (see Amy). From c. 1300 in English as "adversary of God, unbeliever, heathen, anti-Christian;" late 14c. as "the Devil;" also late 14c. as "member of an armed, hostile body in a war, feud, etc.;" of the opposing military forces as a whole, from c. 1600. From mid-14c. as an adjective.
Most Indo-European words for "personal enemy" cover also "enemy in war," but certain languages have special terms for the latter, such as Greek polemioi (distinct from ekhthroi), Latin hostis, originally "stranger" (distinct from inimicus), Russian neprijatel' (distinct from vrag). Russian vrag (Old Church Slavonic vragu) is cognate with Lithuanian vargas "misery" (see urge (v.)), and probably is related to Proto-Germanic *wargoz, source of Old Norse vargr "outlaw," hence "wolf;" Icelandic vargur "fox;" Old English wearg "criminal, felon;" which likely were the inspirations for J.R.R. Tolkien's warg as the name of a kind of large ferocious wolf in "The Hobbit" (1937) and "Lord of the Rings." Related: Enemies.
双语例句
1. The President spoke of the treacherous intentions of the enemy.
总统谈及了敌人的奸诈用心。
来自柯林斯例句
2. Our men wiped them out, but the enemy fought bravely and well.
我们的部队歼灭了敌人，但敌人也进行了顽强的抵抗。
来自柯林斯例句
3. This is something of a grudge match against a long-term enemy.
这可以说是一场与宿敌你死我活的比赛。
来自柯林斯例句
4. In a naval battle your aim is to sink the enemy's ship.
在海战中目标就是击沉敌船。
来自柯林斯例句
5. When war broke out, he was interned as an enemy alien.
