conversation: [14] Latin convertere meant ‘turn round, transform’. It was a compound verb formed from the intensive prefix com- and vertere ‘turn’ (source of English verse, version, and vertigo). It has spawned a variety of English words, its most direct descendant being convert [13]. Its past participle conversus produced the noun converse ‘opposite’ [16], but this should not be confused with the verb converse ‘talk’ [14], which came via quite a different route.
Latin vertere had a specialized form, vertāre, denoting repeated action. From it came versārī ‘live, occupy oneself’, which, with the addition of the com- prefix, produced conversārī ‘live, dwell, associate or communicate with others’. This passed via Old French converser into English, but at first both it and its derivative conversation were limited semantically to the notion of ‘dwelling’ and ‘social life’; the specific modern sense ‘talk’ was not brought into play until the late 16th century. => convert, verse, version
conversation (n.)
mid-14c., "living together, having dealings with others," also "manner of conducting oneself in the world;" from Old French conversation, from Latin conversationem (nominative conversatio) "act of living with," noun of action from past participle stem of conversari "to live with, keep company with," literally "turn about with," from Latin com- "with" (see com-) + vertare, frequentative of vertere (see versus).
Specific sense of "talk" is 1570s. Used as a synonym for "sexual intercourse" from at least 1511, hence criminal conversation, legal term for adultery from late 18c. Related: Conversationalist; conversationist.
实用例句
1. He finished his conversation and stood up, looking straight at me.
他说完话站起来，直视着我。
来自柯林斯例句
2. They can't believe you can even hold a conversation.
他们不敢相信你竟然能够把一场对话进行下去。
来自柯林斯例句
3. I didn't let on to the staff what my conversation was.
我没有将谈话内容向员工们透露。
来自柯林斯例句
4. The piano music mixes with the murmur of conversation.
钢琴的弹奏声混杂着低低的交谈声。
来自柯林斯例句
5. The weather is a constant topic of conversation in Britain.
