災害
解説 Definition
disasters は disaster（災害、大惨事）の複数形です。地震や洪水などの自然災害だけでなく、大きな被害や失敗を表す場合にも使われます。
Disasters are events that cause severe damage, suffering, or loss, such as earthquakes or floods. The plural can also refer to several situations or efforts that have failed very badly.
覚え方のコツ Memory Tip
disasters は disaster「災害・大惨事」に -s を付けた複数形で、語末の s は /z/ と発音します。natural disasters、prepare for disasters のまとまりで覚え、地震や洪水など複数の災害を扱う場面を想像しましょう。単数なら a disaster、複数なら disasters です。
Disasters is the regular plural of disaster, formed by adding -s; here the ending is pronounced /z/. Picture a city preparing for several natural disasters, such as earthquakes, floods, and storms. Useful combinations include natural disasters, disaster relief, and prepare for disasters. The number contrast is simple: use a disaster for one destructive event and disasters for more than one. The word can also describe several complete failures, but the example sentences focus on emergencies that harm communities and require preparation.
例文
Natural disasters can damage many homes.
自然災害は多くの家に被害を与えることがあります。
The city prepares for disasters every year.
その市は毎年、災害に備えています。
After several disasters, the town improved its warning system.
いくつかの災害の後、その町は警報システムを改善しました。
disasters の類義語・関連語
disasters の語源・成り立ち Etymology
ラテン語 dis-（離れて）+ astrum（星）が語源で、イタリア語 disastro（悪い星回り）を経て英語に入った。占星術で星の配置が悪いと災いが起こるという信仰に由来する。関連語: asteroid（小惑星）、astronomy（天文学）。「星から離れた＝不吉」という発想が面白い。
Disaster entered English through French and Italian disastro. The Italian form reflects dis-, suggesting an unfavorable condition, and astro, “star,” from Latin astrum and ultimately Greek astron. It arose from the old astrological belief that an unfavorable arrangement of stars could bring calamity. Disasters is simply the regular English plural of disaster, with no change to the base spelling.
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