certain: [13] Certain comes ultimately from Latin certus ‘sure, fixed’, which derived from the past participle of the verb cernere ‘decide’. The Latin adjective was extended in Vulgar Latin to *certānus, which passed into English via Old French certain. Other English words based on certus include certify [14] (from late Latin certificāre) and its derivative certificate, and certitude [15] (from late Latin certitūdō). => crime, crisis, decree, discern, discrete, discriminate, excrement, riddle, secret
certain (adj.)
c. 1300, "determined, fixed," from Old French certain "reliable, sure, assured" (12c.), from Vulgar Latin *certanus, from Latin certus "sure, fixed, settled, determined" (also source of Italian certo, Spanish cierto), originally a variant past participle of cernere "to distinguish, decide," literally "to sift, separate" (see crisis).
Of persons, "full of confidence in one's knowledge or judgment," from mid-14c. Euphemistic use (of a certain age, etc.) attested from mid-18c. Certainer, certainest were common to c. 1750, but have fallen from proper use for some reason. Expression for certain "assuredly" is attested by early 14c.
实用例句
1. There is a certain impatience among some of the soldiers.
有些士兵有点儿不耐烦。
来自柯林斯例句
2. Over the years he's demonstrated a certain prescience in foreign affairs.
这些年来，他已经在外交事务方面表现出一定的预见性。
来自柯林斯例句
3. I feel certain that it will all turn out well.
我觉得最后肯定会皆大欢喜。
来自柯林斯例句
4. There are certain things he does that drive me mad.
他的某些举动让我很生气。
来自柯林斯例句
5. Parents can programme the machine not to turn on at certain times.