Hi, everyone. And welcome back to our new segment 【It means what?】

Yeah~

安瀾, this is going to be a very interesting word that we're going to talk about today.

Okay.

歡迎回來我們的新板塊【詞源考古研究所】.

In this segment, we will bring you interesting origin stories of some of the most common words and phrases.

So today we're going to talk about the word “companion”.

Yes.

I know a lot of Chinese learners they like to say “I want to accompany you to do something” 我陪你去做什么事情.

Yeah, I've noticed that.

Yeah. It doesn't sound very natural.

No. We wouldn't say accompany someone. If we say something like the best translation for like “陪”, I would say it's like “spend time with”.

Or “keep you company”.

Or “keep you company”.

但不管是company還是accompany, 都和這個詞有點關系, 就是companion.

Yes.

也就是同伴這么一個意思, 就是可以陪伴你的人.

Sometimes we also say pets are our companion.

Well. Exactly.

It's someone you spend time with.

That's it.

Where does this word come from? Because it's very different from like friends or family.

Well. Yeah, it's actually from two words, two Latin words. “Com” I think you can probably recognize what that means.

“Com” is, I think in Latin used to be written as “c” “u” “m”?

Yeah, or like “c” “o” “m”.

“c” “u” “m”, “c” “o” “m”, which means “with” “together”.

Yeah. So combine example.

Companion前面這個com, 它的意思有“和”, 就是 with, 在一起的這個意思. And “panion”?

It comes from the Latin word “panis”.

“penis”?

Not that.

Oh, “panis”.

That’s it.

Let me think, “pan”, oh, yes, yes. Does it actually mean bread？

Yes.

面包.

Panis means bread or can just mean food in general.

因為法語的那個面包就是 pan, 英文里寫出來是pain, 這個詞pain.

Yeah.

估計也是這個根兒, 對吧？

Exactly. So for example, in French Pain au chocolat, chocolate croissant.

Emm.

If you put those two words together, it means somebody you have food with or somebody you have bread with.

It just sounds like companion is someone with food. It just reminds me of modern day food delivering, 就是你的外賣小哥, someone who brings you food, someone with food.

Well, in my case, I would say probably they are my companions, because they always come in delivering food for me, but it means someone you actually eat with, unless you do eat with your delivery drivers.

Yeah, so someone you share food with.

Yes.

Is that why in English, I remember there's a saying or there's a phrase “to break bread with somebody”.

Yeah.

So it means if you break bread with someone, it means to become friends with them. It's a little bit of an old expression, but sometimes you still hear it. We say Breaking Bad with someone.

No, hang on, not Breaking Bad.

Breaking bread.

Yes. You're thinking about the TV show.

Yes.

不是絕命毒師. Breaking bread with someone, 也就是跟某人分食一個面包.

Oh, yeah.

I picture, there's only one tiny bread roll. I'll be... and 安瀾, you're like, I'm starving, Lulu. Can you share some of your bread with me? And now tear it into 2 pieces and they'll give you some, so that you don't starve to death.

Exactly. And that's what the original meaning of the word was.

So for example, companions they used it in the army, for example. So companion is essentially your comrade that you would be sharing bread with at the end of the day.

明白了, 明白了, 就是特別是像你的戰友那種, 然后兩個人一起分食最后那么一點糧食.

For me, I don't think companion is with food or with bread, probably is going to be com panis with wine.

Yeah. Which is why we say convivial.

Is that convivial means with wine？

Yeah, it's one of the meanings. Yeah.

I see. Conviviality, emm, interesting. If you don't know the word convivial, check it out. Before we wrap up today's episode, 安瀾, are you someone who's gonna break bread with people? I mean literal meaning, are you the type that's sharing food？

No.

Food on my plate, don't want anyone taking food from my plate.

Yeah. I can vouch for that. He's actually speaking the truth about himself and he's someone also when there's only one last piece left, 安瀾 would always very “gentlemanly say ‘So does anyone want this last piece’?”But when he asks that, you know. He doesn't want anyone to have the last piece but himself.

Yeah, that's true.

All right.

And as we're wrapping up this short episode, leave us a comment in the comment section, tell us about your attitude towards actually breaking bread with someone, sharing food ,and also recommend us any words or phrases any interesting origin stories that you want us to talk about.

Thank you, 安瀾, for coming to the show, and remind me never to invite you out for food.

That is fine. I do bring wine though.

OK. I'll enjoy the conviviality.

So until then.

we'll see you next time.

Bye.

Bye.