predecessor: [14] Etymologically, predecessor is first cousin to decease, but it has never taken on decease’s connotations of ‘dying’. Both go back to Latin dēcēdere ‘go away’ (a compound verb based on cēdere ‘go away’, source of English cede, concede, precede, etc), whose derived noun dēcessus ‘departure’ came to be used euphemistically for ‘death’ – whence English decease [14].
Combination with the prefix prae- ‘before’ with the derived dēcessor ‘leaver’ produced praedēcessor ‘one who leaves before’. Traces of this original meaning linger in English predecessor (acquired via Old French predecesseur) in the notion of ‘one who left office before the present incumbent took over’. => cede, concede, decease, precede, proceed, succeed
predecessor (n.)
late 14c., "one who has held an office or position before the present holder," from Old French predecesseor "forebear" and directly from Late Latin praedecessorem (nominative praedecessor), from Latin prae "before" (see pre-) + decessor "retiring official," from decess-, past participle stem of decedere "go away," also "die" (see decease (n.)). Meaning "ancestor, forefather" is recorded from c. 1400.
双语例句
1. He has never exhibited the self-confidence, bordering on arrogance, of his predecessor.
他从未表现出他前任的那种近乎傲慢的自信。
来自柯林斯例句
2. His style could scarcely be further removed from that of his predecessor.
他的风格几乎和他的前辈如出一辙。
来自柯林斯例句
3. He's backing away from the policies and style of his predecessor.
他正脱离其前任的政策和风格。
来自柯林斯例句
4. The car is some 40mm shorter than its predecessor.
这辆轿车比原先的车型短了约40毫米。
来自柯林斯例句
5. He is seen as more business-minded than his predecessor.
