鉱山
解説 Definition
mines は mine（鉱山）の複数形で、複数の鉱山という意味です。石炭や金属などを掘り出す場所を指し、文脈によっては地雷の複数形にもなるので注意が必要です。
Mines is the plural of mine, referring here to places, including underground passages or open excavations, where coal, metals, or other minerals are extracted from the earth. In other contexts, the same form can mean explosive devices.
覚え方のコツ Memory Tip
ここでは mine「鉱山」の規則的な複数形で、語末の -s は /z/ と発音します。work in the mines、close two mines のように、地下から石炭や金属を採る複数の採掘場所を思い浮かべましょう。同じ綴りで「地雷」の複数形にもなるため、old mines near the town など周囲の語から鉱山か地雷かを判断します。
Mines is the regular plural of mine, and the final -s is pronounced /z/. For the meaning in these examples, picture several places where people dig into the earth to remove coal, gold, or other minerals. Useful combinations include work in the mines, close a mine, and coal mines. Context is essential because mines can also be the plural of mine meaning an explosive device. Words such as workers, coal, mining, tunnels, and company usually point to the “places of extraction” sense.
例文
There are old mines near the town.
その町の近くには古い鉱山があります。
Many people worked in the mines years ago.
昔は多くの人がその鉱山で働いていました。
The company closed two mines last winter.
その会社は去年の冬に2つの鉱山を閉鎖しました。
mines の語源・成り立ち Etymology
mines は mine「鉱山」の複数形で、この mine は古フランス語 mine「鉱脈、坑道」を経て英語に入り、さらに中世ラテン語やケルト系の語にさかのぼるとされます。元の感覚は地中の「掘る場所」や「鉱脈」で、そこから鉱物を採掘する場所、つまり「鉱山」の意味になりました。関連語は miner, mining です。
Mines is the plural of mine in the sense of a place where minerals are extracted. Mine entered English through Old French mine, referring to a mineral deposit, ore, or an underground passage. Its deeper origin is uncertain and has been connected with Medieval Latin and possibly Celtic sources. The English words miner and mining were later formed from this noun and its related verb.
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