at: [OE] The preposition at was originally found throughout the Germanic languages: Old English had æt, Old High German az, Gothic and Old Norse at. It survives in the Scandinavian languages (Swedish att, for instance) as well as English, but has been lost from German and Dutch. Cognates in other Indo-European languages, including Latin ad ‘to, at’, suggest an ultimate common source.
Old English æt, from Proto-Germanic *at (cognates: Old Norse, Gothic at, Old Frisian et, Old High German az), from PIE *ad- "to, near, at" (cognates: Latin ad "to, toward" Sanskrit adhi "near;" see ad-).
Lost in German and Dutch, which use their equivalent of to; in Scandinavian, however, to has been lost and at fills its place. In choosing between at church, in church, etc. at is properly distinguished from in or on by involving some practical connection; a worshipper is at church; a tourist is in the church.
The colloquial use of at after where ("where it's at") is attested from 1859. At last is recorded from late 13c.; adverbial phrase at least was in use by 1775. At in Middle English was used freely with prepositions (as in at after, which is in Shakespeare), but this has faded with the exception of at about, which was used in modern times by Trollope, Virginia Woolfe, D.H. Lawrence, and Evelyn Waugh, but nonetheless is regarded as a sign of incompetent writing by my copy editor bosses.
双语例句
1. I think he means "at" rather than "to"
我想，他是想说at，而不是to。
来自柯林斯例句
2. The world breaks everyone, and afterward, many are stronger at the broken places.
生活总是让我们遍体鳞伤，但到后来，那些受伤的地方会变得更坚强。
来自金山词霸 每日一句
3. For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbours, and laugh at them in our turn?
我们活着是为了什么？不就是给邻居当笑柄，再反过来笑他们。
来自《傲慢与偏见》
4. You have to do everything you can. You have to work your hardest. And if you do, if you stay positive, then you have a shot at a silver lining.
你必须全力以赴，最大限度地去努力。如果你这么做，并且保持乐观，你就会看见乌云背后的幸福线。
来自电影《乌云背后的幸福线》
5. I thought I'd enrol you with an art group at the school.
