demi
demi — 字首
1. a word element placed at the front of a noun to show that the thing described is
一半；部分
表示「一半」或「部分」的前綴
a word element placed at the front of a noun to show that the thing described is half of a larger thing or belongs only partly to a category.
In Greek mythology, Hercules was a demigod who completed twelve dangerous tasks.
在希臘神話中，海克力士是完成十二項艱鉅任務的半神。
demi- + god = half-god, partly divine being
The waiter served the strong espresso in a small demitasse cup on a silver tray.
服務生用一個德米塔斯杯盛裝濃縮咖啡，放在銀盤上端了過來。
demi- + tasse (cup) = half-cup; small coffee cup
The chef ladled a rich demi-glace over the roasted beef before serving it.
主廚在上菜前將濃郁的肉汁淋在烤牛肉上。
The novel describes a demimonde of artists and writers living in nineteenth-century Paris.
這本小說描寫了十九世紀巴黎一群藝術家和作家組成的半上流社會。
文法句型
demi- + noun → noun (demigod, demitasse)
demi- + adjective → adjective (no common modern formations)
用法筆記
Much less common than the prefixes 'semi-' (used in general and technical English: semicircle, semiprofessional) and 'hemi-' (used mainly in scientific terms: hemisphere, hemiplegia). 'Demi-' appears mostly in a small set of words borrowed from French, such as demigod, demitasse, and demimonde. Learners should learn each compound word individually rather than trying to attach 'demi-' freely to new words.