• n. 幽默，詼諧；心情
• vt. 迎合，遷就；順應

來自拉丁語umor,體液，來自umere,濕的，詞源同humid.在古代指人體的四種體液，即blood,phlegm,choler,black bile,血液，黏液，膽汁液，黑膽汁液，這四種體液的組合和多寡決定人的性格，心境，情緒，同時，這四種體液的組合雖然基本固定，但也會發(fā)生變化，從而人的心情也隨之發(fā)生變化，引申詞義興致，心血來潮，縱容等詞義，并同時引申詞義逗笑的能力，即幽默感。20世紀初學者嚴復將該詞翻譯為幽默并廣為流傳，需說明的是，當時h是不發(fā)音的。

humor (n.)

mid-14c., "fluid or juice of an animal or plant," from Old North French humour (Old French humor; Modern French humeur), from Latin umor "body fluid" (also humor, by false association with humus "earth"); related to umere "be wet, moist," and to uvescere "become wet," from PIE *wegw- "wet."

In ancient and medieval physiology, "any of the four body fluids" (blood, phlegm, choler, and melancholy or black bile) whose relative proportions were thought to determine state of mind. This led to a sense of "mood, temporary state of mind" (first recorded 1520s); the sense of "amusing quality, funniness" is first recorded 1680s, probably via sense of "whim, caprice" (1560s), which also produced the verb sense of "indulge," first attested 1580s. "The pronunciation of the initial h is only of recent date, and is sometimes omitted ...." [OED] For types of humor, see the useful table below, from H.W. Fowler ["Modern English Usage," 1926].

device	HUMOR	WIT	SATIRE	SARCASM	INVECTIVE	IRONY	CYNICISM	SARDONIC
motive/aim	discovery	throwing light	amendment	inflicting pain	discredit	exclusiveness	self-justification	self-relief
province	human nature	words & ideas	morals & manners	faults & foibles	misconduct	statement of facts	morals	adversity
method/means	observation	surprise	accentuation	inversion	direct statement	mystification	exposure of nakedness	pessimism
audience	the sympathetic	the intelligent	the self-satisfied	victim & bystander	the public	an inner circle	the respectable	the self

humor (v.)

1580s; see humor (n.). Related: Humored; humoring.

1. McGrath remembers his offbeat sense of humor, his whimsical side.

麥格拉思記得他不同尋常的幽默感和他古怪的一面。

來自柯林斯例句

2. The essays could do with a flash of wit or humor.

這些散文需要一些出其不意的風趣或幽默。

來自柯林斯例句

3. I think humor is a great lubricant for life.

我認為幽默是人生的上好潤滑劑。

來自柯林斯例句

4. Their dark humor never failed to astound him.

他們的黑色幽默總能讓他咋舌。

來自柯林斯例句

5. Humor is laughing at what you have not got when you ought to have it.

能對應有而沒有的東西一笑置之是謂幽默。

來自每日一句