humor

• n. 幽默，诙谐；心情
• vt. 迎合，迁就；顺应

来自拉丁语umor,体液，来自umere,湿的，词源同humid.在古代指人体的四种体液，即blood,phlegm,choler,black bile,血液，黏液，胆汁液，黑胆汁液，这四种体液的组合和多寡决定人的性格，心境，情绪，同时，这四种体液的组合虽然基本固定，但也会发生变化，从而人的心情也随之发生变化，引申词义兴致，心血来潮，纵容等词义，并同时引申词义逗笑的能力，即幽默感。20世纪初学者严复将该词翻译为幽默并广为流传，需说明的是，当时h是不发音的。

humor (n.)

mid-14c., "fluid or juice of an animal or plant," from Old North French humour (Old French humor; Modern French humeur), from Latin umor "body fluid" (also humor, by false association with humus "earth"); related to umere "be wet, moist," and to uvescere "become wet," from PIE *wegw- "wet."

In ancient and medieval physiology, "any of the four body fluids" (blood, phlegm, choler, and melancholy or black bile) whose relative proportions were thought to determine state of mind. This led to a sense of "mood, temporary state of mind" (first recorded 1520s); the sense of "amusing quality, funniness" is first recorded 1680s, probably via sense of "whim, caprice" (1560s), which also produced the verb sense of "indulge," first attested 1580s. "The pronunciation of the initial h is only of recent date, and is sometimes omitted ...." [OED] For types of humor, see the useful table below, from H.W. Fowler ["Modern English Usage," 1926].

device	HUMOR	WIT	SATIRE	SARCASM	INVECTIVE	IRONY	CYNICISM	SARDONIC
motive/aim	discovery	throwing light	amendment	inflicting pain	discredit	exclusiveness	self-justification	self-relief
province	human nature	words & ideas	morals & manners	faults & foibles	misconduct	statement of facts	morals	adversity
method/means	observation	surprise	accentuation	inversion	direct statement	mystification	exposure of nakedness	pessimism
audience	the sympathetic	the intelligent	the self-satisfied	victim & bystander	the public	an inner circle	the respectable	the self

humor (v.)

1580s; see humor (n.). Related: Humored; humoring.

1. McGrath remembers his offbeat sense of humor, his whimsical side.

麦格拉思记得他不同寻常的幽默感和他古怪的一面。

来自柯林斯例句

2. The essays could do with a flash of wit or humor.

这些散文需要一些出其不意的风趣或幽默。

来自柯林斯例句

3. I think humor is a great lubricant for life.

我认为幽默是人生的上好润滑剂。

来自柯林斯例句

4. Their dark humor never failed to astound him.

他们的黑色幽默总能让他咋舌。

来自柯林斯例句

5. Humor is laughing at what you have not got when you ought to have it.

能对应有而没有的东西一笑置之是谓幽默。

来自每日一句