argue: [14] English acquired argue and its various meanings via rather complex paths, but its ultimate origin is straightforward: the Latin verb arguere derived from a prehistoric Indo- European base *arg- ‘be white, bright, or clear’ (source also of Latin argentum ‘silver’, and thus of French argent ‘money’); it therefore meant primarily ‘make clear’, but this subsequently developed into ‘assert, prove’.
A frequentative form (that is, one denoting repeated action) evolved, argutāre; this signified ‘make repeated assertions or accusations’. This passed into medieval French as arguer ‘accuse, blame’, and also ‘bring forward reasons for an assertion’, and thence into English. The meaning ‘accuse’ died out in English in the late 17th century, leaving ‘reasoning, discussing’ as the main sense of argue.
Meanwhile, original Latin arguere had made its presence felt in establishing the sense ‘prove’ in English, now somewhat weakened to ‘imply, indicate’ (as in ‘Their lack of involvement argues indifference’). The sense ‘quarrel’ seems to have developed from ‘discuss’ in the 17th century.
argue (v.)
c. 1300, "to make reasoned statements to prove or refute a proposition," from Old French arguer "maintain an opinion or view; harry, reproach, accuse, blame" (12c.), from Latin argutare "to prattle, prate," frequentative of arguere "make clear, make known, prove, declare, demonstrate," from PIE *argu-yo-, from root *arg- "to shine, be white, bright, clear" (see argent). Meaning "to oppose, dispute" is from late 14c. Related: Argued; arguing.
双语例句
1. Few would argue that this team has experience and proven ability.
这个队伍的丰富经验和表现出来的实力是众所公认的。
来自柯林斯例句
2. I don't think many people would argue with that.
我认为多数人不会对此有异议。
来自柯林斯例句
3. They egged each other on to argue and to fight.
他们互相拱火，大打大闹。
来自柯林斯例句
4. One could argue that smoking, by its very nature, is addictive.
有人可能认为抽烟从本质上说就具有成瘾性。
来自柯林斯例句
5. They argue that only private capitalists can remake Poland's economy.
