僕は「how do you do」というフレーズについて考えると、屋敷に住んでいるイギリスの紳士を思い浮かべます。現在では、「how do you do」はあまり使われていませんが、たまに教科書に「how do you do」が出てきます。
昔は、「how do you do」は初対面の挨拶として使われました。たとえば、握手しながら以下の会話をします。
John: How do you do?
Howard: How do you do?
John: It’s a pleasure to meet you at last.
Howard: It’s a pleasure to meet you too.
ジョン：はじめまして。
ハワード：はじめまして。
ジョン：やっと、あなたにお会いできてうれしいです。
ハワード：私も。
「how do you do」は質問ですが、「how do you do」で答えます。
では、なぜ初対面では「do」という動詞を使うのでしょうか？ 昔の英語では、「do」には、「元気」という意味があったからです。それで、昔の「how do you do」は「元気ですか」という意味に近かったです。数百年前、「元気ですか」を意味する「how do you?」という質問もよく耳にしました。
ちなみに、「howdy」というアメリカ英語の挨拶は「how do you do」に由来します。そして、北イギリスでの「how do？」という挨拶もこの「do」の使い方に由来します。
イギリスでは、「how do you do」はまだたまに耳にしますが、月に一回ぐらいという頻度です。
he~
オーストラリアにホームスティをしたとき、ホストファミリーの
おばあさんと初めて会った時how do you do?と言われましたね。
初対面で会う時は握手しながらhow are you?の方が多かったです。
Hello,Luke.
How can you say insted of ‘how do you do’?
Hell,again.
I think understanding this is very important;
‘Do’ originally means ‘Fine’.
I could understand well why ‘how are you DOING?’mean asking condition and ‘I’m DOING well.’ doesn’t mean activity.
People understanding this meaning well seem not so many even in other countries excepting native.
Because,many people seem to be confused a little about the meaning actually.
If I say someone non-native who speak english ‘How have you been doing?’,they think they should say like this;
Sometime,’I’ve been doing good.’ or
Sometime,’I’ve been doing a lot of things.’
But,the previous 2ways are different under it’s meaning.
The first one’s ‘DOING’ means ‘condition’.
The second one’s ‘DOING’ means ‘ activity ‘.
I think the first one is more suitable as greeting.
After all,would you like to ask someone ‘have you been fine so far?’ as the meaning?
I wonder why you don’t ask so.However,I could find the answer in my experience.
Once,I said my foreign friend ‘you don’t look so fine.
‘We hadn’t met for a long time.
I thought his appiarance has been different compared before.I had a thought that is like ‘Tell me anything.I’m easy going person for you.’.
But,unexpected thing had happened.
He said some his faults he thought as so and got depressed at the moment.
Then,I’ve decided I never use the word of ‘fine’with negative to someone want me to cerebrate
our meeting.
No one tought me that.I just had learnt about important thing on my experience.
If someone say ‘have you been fine?’
the another someone have to say like this;
‘Yes,I’ve been fine.’ or ‘No,I’ve never been fine.Because,I want to tell you truth.’
Then,I guess ancient English had similar experience as me.And,they have been becoming not saying so.
So,I think ‘Do’ is the fuzzy style of ‘Fine’.
What do you think about it?
I really like your writing style, fantastic information, thanks for putting up cecedafgkdegdede
[…] do」という動詞を使うのでしょうか？ 昔の英語では、「do」には、「元気」という意味があったからです。それで、昔の「how do you …. => 続きを読む […]