discern: [14] Discern, discreet, discrete, and discriminate all come ultimately from the same source, Latin discernere, literally ‘separate by sifting’, hence ‘distinguish’. This was a compound verb formed from the prefix dis- ‘apart’ and cernere ‘sift, separate’ (source of English crime and secret and related to crisis).
The derived noun discrīmen formed the basis of a new Latin verb discrīmināre, from which English gets discriminate [17]. (Closely related is decree [14], whose ultimate source is Latin dēcernere ‘decide’, also a derivative of cernere but with the prefix dē-, denoting removal.) => certain, crime, crisis, decree, discreet, discrete, discriminate, excrement, secret
discern (v.)
late 14c., from Old French discerner (13c.) "distinguish (between), separate" (by sifting), and directly from Latin discernere "to separate, set apart, divide, distribute; distinguish, perceive," from dis- "off, away" (see dis-) + cernere "distinguish, separate, sift" (see crisis). Related: Discerned; discerning.
实用例句
1. Below the bridge we could just discern a narrow, weedy ditch.
我们仅能依稀辨出桥下一条杂草丛生的窄沟。
来自柯林斯例句
2. It is possible to discern a number of different techniques in her work.
从她的作品中可以识别出许多不同的创作手法。
来自《权威词典》
3. Some people find it difficult to discern blue from green.
有些人很难分辨蓝色与绿色.
来自《简明英汉词典》
4. The man couldn't discern between right and wrong.
那人是非分辨不清.
来自《简明英汉词典》
5. It is easy to discern a connection between high rents and the lack of housing.
