jail: [13] Etymologically, a jail is a ‘little cage’. The word comes ultimately from Vulgar Latin *gaviola, which was an alteration of an earlier *caveola, a diminutive form of Latin cavea ‘cage’ (source of English cage). It passed into English in two distinct versions: jail came via Old French jaiole; but the Old Northern French form of the word was gaiole, and this produced English gaol.
Until the 17th century gaol was pronounced with a hard /g/ sound, but then it gradually fell into line phonetically with jail. There has been a tendency for British English to use the spelling gaol, while American prefers jail, but there are now signs that jail is on the increase in Britain. => cage
jail (n.)
late 13c., gayhol, from Old North French gaiole and Old French jaole, both meaning "a cage, prison," from Medieval Latin gabiola, from Late Latin caveola, diminutive of Latin cavea "cage, enclosure, stall, coop" (see cave (n.)). Both forms carried into Middle English; now pronounced "jail" however it is spelled. Persistence of Norman-derived gaol (preferred in Britain) is "chiefly due to statutory and official tradition" [OED].
jail (v.)
"to put in jail," c. 1600, from jail (n.). Related: Jailed; jailing.
双语例句
1. Last night he was being held in solitary confinement in Douglas jail.
昨晚他被单独监禁在道格拉斯的监狱里。
来自柯林斯例句
2. He's probably going to finish up in jail for business fraud.
他最后很可能会因为商业诈骗而入狱。
来自柯林斯例句
3. In the end the "bad guys" are caught and sent to jail.
最后，“坏人”都被抓住送进了监狱。
来自柯林斯例句
4. Mr Garcia said his conscience was clear over the jail incidents.
加西亚先生说他对监狱中发生的事件问心无愧。
来自柯林斯例句
5. A dozen inmates have absconded from Forest Jail in the past year.
