demotic
demotic — 形容詞
- demoticpositive
- more demoticcomparative
- most demoticsuperlative
1. describing a style of language that matches the way most people actually talk an
通俗的
用於日常對話的非正式語言風格
describing a style of language that matches the way most people actually talk and write, using casual words and slang instead of formal, academic, or literary expressions.
Eli prefers the demotic style of modern novels over formal poetry.
Eli 偏愛現代小說的通俗風格，勝過 19 世紀詩歌的正式語言。
collocation: demotic style / demotic language / demotic speech
The newspaper's demotic tone helped it reach millions of regular readers.
那份報紙的通俗風格幫助它吸引了數百萬普通讀者。
usually before noun: demotic tone / demotic register
Hana's radio programme uses demotic language so listeners feel she is chatting with them.
Hana 的廣播節目使用通俗語言，讓聽眾覺得她就像在跟他們聊天。
The mayor used a demotic way of talking that the crowd understood.
在演講中，市長從正式論述轉為通俗的說話方式，讓聽眾立刻就能理解。
Clara found demotic dialogue made film characters feel like real neighbours.
Clara 發現電影對白中的通俗對白，讓角色感覺就像真實的鄰居，而不是遙遠的人物。
- vernacular
more neutral, less tied to slang; 'vernacular' simply means everyday speech, while 'demotic' emphasises the contrast with formal language
- colloquial
specifically about informal conversation; 'colloquial' is more common in language teaching contexts
- popular
broader meaning; 'popular language' is less precise and can also mean 'liked by many people'
文法句型
demotic + noun (language, speech, usage)
用法筆記
This sense is most often used before a noun such as 'language', 'speech', 'style', or 'usage'. It contrasts with formal, literary, or 'high' varieties of a language.
常見錯誤
2. relating to the lives, tastes, and activities of ordinary people, rather than th
平民的
與普通民眾生活與文化相關的
relating to the lives, tastes, and activities of ordinary people, rather than those of an educated elite or a wealthy upper class.
The exhibition showed how demotic art forms like murals reflect a community's true character.
那場展覽展示了街頭壁畫等平民藝術形式如何反映社區的真實精神。
collocation: demotic art / demotic culture / demotic tradition
Kofi argued that exciting music comes from demotic sources like street festivals.
Kofi 主張，最令人興奮的新音樂來自平民——街頭表演和地方節慶。
The historian traced how demotic beliefs about health shaped modern folk medicine.
那位歷史學家追溯了世代相傳的平民健康觀念如何塑造了現代的草藥療法。
Ryo noticed the restaurant menu now used demotic recipes that reminded him of home cooking.
Ryo 注意到，那家餐廳原本高檔的菜單，如今改用平民食譜，讓年長顧客想起家庭料理。
Benjamin wrote a book about the demotic roots of hip-hop culture.
Benjamin 寫了一本關於嘻哈音樂平民根源的書，展現它如何從街區派對和街角發展起來。
- elite
belonging to a small, powerful, or highly educated group rather than the general population
- aristocratic
relating to the upper social class, the opposite of 'of the people'
文法句型
demotic + noun (culture, art, movement)
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (EVERYDAY LANGUAGE): this sense is broader and does not specifically refer to language. It can describe art, culture, politics, food, or any domain where ordinary people are the focus.
3. relating to the simplified handwriting system that ordinary ancient Egyptians us
通俗文字的
古埃及日常使用的簡化書寫體
relating to the simplified handwriting system that ordinary ancient Egyptians used for everyday business, letters, and stories from around 650 BCE, before the Coptic alphabet took its place.
Dr. Okonkwo learned demotic script to translate tax records from ancient Egyptian towns.
Okonkwo 博士花了多年時間學習辨讀古埃及通俗文字，以便翻譯古代城鎮的稅務記錄。
collocation: demotic script / demotic writing / demotic text
The museum shows a demotic marriage contract on papyrus from two thousand years ago.
博物館的新展品展示了一份寫在莎草紙上、將近兩千年前的通俗文字婚約。
Unlike temple hieroglyphs, demotic writing was faster and better for notes on papyrus.
與刻在神廟牆上的正式象形文字不同，通俗文字書寫更快，更適合在泥土或莎草紙上記錄。
Sofia compared the demotic inscription with a Greek translation to check a land sale.
Sofia 將石碑上的通俗文字銘文與希臘譯文進行比對，確認了一筆古代土地買賣的細節。
A demotic letter in a jar showed the personal worries of an ordinary Egyptian.
研究人員在一個陶罐內發現了一封通俗文字信件，使他們得以一窺普通埃及人的個人煩惱。
- hieratic
an earlier, more formal cursive Egyptian script used by priests; demotic developed from hieratic but was simpler
- cursive hieroglyphs
a broader term for handwritten Egyptian signs, though demotic is a distinct, later stage
- hieroglyphic
the formal picture-writing system used on monuments, much more complex and slower to write than demotic
文法句型
demotic + noun (script, writing, text, inscription)
用法筆記
Only used before a noun referring to writing or documents (script, text, inscription, papyrus, letter). This sense is almost entirely confined to archaeology, Egyptology, and ancient history contexts.
常見錯誤
4. describing the kind of Modern Greek people use in everyday conversation and ordi
希臘白話的
用於日常對話的現代希臘語形式
describing the kind of Modern Greek people use in everyday conversation and ordinary writing, rather than the older, artificially kept literary type called Katharevousa.
After years of ancient Greek, Wei found demotic Greek easier to follow in Athens.
學了多年的古希臘語之後，Wei 在雅典旅行時發現現代白話希臘語容易理解得多。
collocation: demotic Greek / demotic language
The Greek government made demotic Greek the official school language in 1976.
希臘政府於 1976 年將現代白話希臘語定為官方教育語言，取代了舊式的純正希臘語。
Modern Greek poetry switches between demotic and formal styles for different effects.
現代希臘詩歌常常在白話與正式風格之間切換，以產生不同的情感效果。
Paloma learned demotic phrases that Greek speakers actually used at the market.
Paloma 學到了母語者在市場上實際使用的通俗希臘語短語。
Sofia learned demotic Greek from her grandmother's stories about life in a village near Thessaloniki.
Sofia 從祖母講述的塞薩洛尼基附近村莊生活故事中學到了通俗希臘語。
- vernacular Greek
less common but clearer; 'vernacular' is a more general term for everyday speech
- Dhimotiki
the Greek-language name for this form; often used in linguistic texts to be precise
- Katharevousa
the formal, artificially preserved literary form of Greek that demotic replaced in official use
文法句型
demotic + noun (Greek, language, form)
用法筆記
In Greek linguistics, 'demotic' (also called 'Dhimotiki') specifically contrasts with Katharevousa, a formal, archaising variety invented in the 19th century. Since 1976, demotic Greek has been the official standard.
demotic — 名詞
1. the ordinary version of a language that regular people speak and write every day
通俗語；口語
大眾日常使用的非正式語言
the ordinary version of a language that regular people speak and write every day, filled with casual phrases and slang, as opposed to the formal or bookish variety.
The novelist wrote in the demotic so her stories sounded like real people talking.
那位小說家選擇用通俗語寫作，這樣她的故事聽起來就像真實的人在廚房餐桌旁聊天。
uncountable noun: the demotic / in the demotic / written in demotic
Constanza found the street demotic hard to follow because she knew only formal Arabic.
Constanza 聽不太懂街頭小販的通俗表達，因為她的教科書只教了她正式的阿拉伯語。
Teachers argue about whether children should learn the demotic or classical language.
有些國家的教師仍在爭論，孩子在學校應該學習通俗語還是古典語。
The radio host used the demotic so well that listeners felt he was a friend.
那個廣播節目將口語運用得恰到好處，讓聽眾覺得主持人就像朋友在跟他們直接對話。
The everyday demotic of older generations includes words young people no longer know.
年長世代日常使用的通俗語包含了許多現代年輕人不再認識的詞彙。
- vernacular
the most common synonym; 'vernacular' is slightly broader and can also mean 'native dialect of a place'
- colloquial speech
more specific about conversation; 'colloquial' focuses on spoken, informal language
- standard language
the formal, codified version taught in schools and used in official writing
- literary language
the elevated style used in serious literature and formal speeches
文法句型
the demotic
用法筆記
Used as an uncountable noun, usually preceded by 'the'. This sense overlaps with 'vernacular' but carries a stronger implication of informality and slang versus formal standards.
常見錯誤
2. the fast, streamlined writing system that everyday ancient Egyptians used for re
古埃及文
古埃及人日常使用的簡化書寫系統
the fast, streamlined writing system that everyday ancient Egyptians used for records, letters, and legal papers from about 650 BCE until the Coptic alphabet took over.
The Rosetta Stone has text in hieroglyphs, Demotic, and Greek, which helped scholars decode it.
羅塞塔石碑上同時刻有象形文字、古埃及通俗文字和古希臘文，幫助學者解讀了這套文字。
capitalised when referring to the specific writing system: Demotic / in Demotic
Kenji spent three summers in Cairo learning to read Demotic from old papyrus documents.
Kenji 花了三個夏天在開羅學習從未被人翻譯過的莎草紙文件中的古埃及通俗文字。
Unlike temple carvings, Demotic was designed for speed with flowing connected signs.
與神廟牆上精美的雕刻不同，古埃及通俗文字以速度為設計目標，符號連貫書寫，如同英文草書。
The museum collection includes a Demotic tax receipt from two thousand years ago.
博物館的館藏包含一份古埃及通俗文字的稅單，精確顯示了兩千年前一位農民繳納了多少穀物。
Nora found that her Coptic training helped her recognise words from the older Demotic system.
Nora 很興奮地發現，她對科普特語的了解幫助她辨認出源自更古老通俗文字的詞彙。
- Demotic script
the full name; 'Demotic' alone is used when the context is clear
- Demotic Egyptian
emphasises that this was the written form of the Egyptian language at that period
- hieroglyphs
the formal picture-writing system used on monuments, much more elaborate and slower to produce than Demotic
文法句型
Demotic (capitalised)
in Demotic
written in Demotic
用法筆記
When referring to the ancient Egyptian writing system, 'Demotic' is usually capitalised. It is an uncountable noun — you do not say 'a Demotic' or 'Demotics'. This sense is distinct from the adjective 'demotic' in sense 3 (ANCIENT EGYPTIAN SCRIPT), which describes a type of writing rather than naming the system itself.