obituary

ob-,向前，-it,走，词源同exit,itinerary.委婉语，即向前走了。引申词义讣告，讣闻。

obituary

obituary: [18] Obituary goes back ultimately to a Latin euphemism for ‘die’, meaning literally ‘go down, make an exit’. This was obīre, a compound verb formed from the prefix ob- ‘down’ and īre ‘go’. From it was derived obitus ‘death’, which formed the basis of the medieval Latin adjective obituārius ‘of death’, source of English obituary. A parallel Latin formation was the adverb obiter ‘on the way, in passing along’, based on the noun iter ‘journey’ (a relative of īre and source of English itinerant [16] and itinerary [15]). English preserves it in obiter dictum [19], literally a ‘statement in passing’.
=> itinerant

obituary (n.)

1706, "register of deaths," from Medieval Latin obituarius "a record of the death of a person," literally "pertaining to death," from Latin obitus "departure, a going to meet, encounter" (a euphemism for "death"), from stem of obire "go toward, go to meet" (as in mortem obire "meet death"), from ob "to, toward" (see ob-) + ire "to go" (see ion). Meaning "record or announcement of a death, especially in a newspaper, and including a brief biographical sketch" is from 1738. As an adjective from 1828. A similar euphemism is in Old English cognate forðfaran "to die," literally "to go forth;" utsið "death," literally "going out, departure."

1. I read Sewell's obituary in the Daily News.

我在《每日新闻》上读到了休厄尔的讣告.

2. I should like to add a postscript to your obituary for John Cage.

我想在你为约翰·凯奇写的讣告后补充一点内容。

3. I read your brother's obituary in the Times.

我在《泰晤士报》上看到了你哥哥的讣告。

4. Who says, The only bad publicity is your obituary?

谁说, 最不妙的广告是你的讣告?

5. Are you saying you left that obituary to help me?

你的意思是你放下那个讣告是为了帮助我?