negotiate: [16] The etymological notion underlying negotiate is of ‘not being at leisure’, and hence of ‘being busy’. The word comes ultimately from Latin negōtium ‘business’, which was a compound formed from the negative particle neg and ōtium ‘leisure’ (source of English otiose [18]). From it was derived the verb negōtiārī ‘do business’, which passed into English as negotiate.
There is some early evidence in the derivatives negotiation and negotiator that the original Latin sense of the word survived into English, but in the verb itself it had already developed via ‘transact business’ and ‘hold business discussions’ to ‘hold discussions’ generally. => otiose
"to communicate in search of mutual agreement," 1590s, back-formation from negotiation, or else from Latin negotiatus, past participle of negotiari. In the sense of "tackle successfully" (1862), it at first meant "to clear on horseback a hedge, fence, or other obstacle" and "originated in the hunting-field; those who hunt the fox like also to hunt jocular verbal novelties" [Gowers, 1965]. Related: Negotiated; negotiating.
双语例句
1. The driver failed to negotiate a bend and ran into a tree.
司机没能顺利拐弯，撞到了树上。
来自柯林斯例句
2. Western governments have this week urged him to negotiate and avoid force.
西方各国政府本周敦促他进行谈判，避免使用武力。
来自柯林斯例句
3. He has insisted that his organization will not negotiate with the government.
他坚称他的组织将不会与政府谈判。
来自柯林斯例句
4. Ellis evidently wished to negotiate downwards after Atkinson had set the guidelines.
埃利斯显然希望在阿特金森制定了指导方针后继续往下协商。
来自柯林斯例句
5. The continued fighting threatens to undermine efforts to negotiate an agreement.
