释义 |
▪ I. insight, n.1|ˈɪnsaɪt| Forms: 3–4 insiht, 3 Orm. innsihht, (4–5 insihte), 3–5 insiȝt(e, (3 insiȝht, 4 -syȝht, -syȝt), 4 ensight, 5 ensyght, 5–6 insyght(e, -sighte, 3– insight. [f. in adv. + sight n. Cf. MDu. insicht, Du. inzigt, Ger. einsicht, Da. indsigt, Sw. insigt. The original notion appears to have been ‘internal sight’, i.e. with the eyes of the mind or understanding (see in adv. 12 c). Cf. the same use of in- in ME. inwit (sometimes an equivalent of insight), and OE. inȝehyȝd, inȝeþanc, etc. But subseq. there arose a tendency to analyse the word as sight or seeing into a thing or subject, although even so there usually remained the notion of penetrating into things or seeing beneath their surface with the eyes of the understanding.] †1. a. Internal sight, mental vision or perception, discernment; in early use sometimes, Understanding, intelligence, wisdom. Obs.
c1200Ormin 8789 He ȝifeþþ himm..innsihht tunnderrstanndenn all þatt mann maȝȝ unnderrstanndenn. Ibid. 11508 Forr sawle onnfoþ att Drihhtin Godd Innsihht & minndiȝnesse. 1297R. Glouc. (Rolls) 6261 Her of þat soþe seggeþ ȝe as bi ȝoure in siȝte. a1300Cursor M. 1565 Sua blind þai war in þair insight, Þat reckining cuth þai nan o right. 1340Hampole Pr. Consc. 253 Þus þer four lettes his insight Þat he knaws noght him-selfe right. c1440Lonelich Grail xxxi. 214 Þe wordis..Whiche that non man vndirstondyn ne Myhte, but Only God thorwh his Insihte. c1491Chast. Goddes Chyld. 47 An Intellectuel vision is callyd whanne the Insighte of the sowle..is cleerly fastnyd in unbodely substaunce wyth a sothfaste knowynge. 1570Levins Manip. 119/42 Insight of knowledge, scientia. 1578Chr. Prayers in Priv. Prayers (1851) 440 Much better is..the insight of the mind than the light, or eyesight, of the body. 1647H. More Song of Soul i. ii. xxxii, Much he spake where I had no insight. †b. With in (a, o, on, of): Knowledge of or skill in (a particular subject or department). Obs.
c1200Ormin 3437 Amang þe Calldeowisshe þeod Þatt cann innsihht o steorrness. Ibid. 7084 Uþwitess..Þatt haffden dep innsihht & witt Off fele kinne þingess. c1205Lay. 30497 Insiht he cuðe: a winde and a mone. c1430Hymns Virg. (1867) 66 In discrecioun I haue in-siȝt. 1513More in Grafton Chron. (1568) II. 810 He..had gotten by great experience..depe insight in pollitique and worldly driftes. 1590Spenser F.Q. iii. iii. 11 Merlin had in Magick more insight Then ever him before, or after, living wight. 1612Brinsley Lud. Lit. 174 To follow the Logicke places in Apthonius in a Philosophical discourse, doth require..some insight in Logick. 1640Wilkins New Planet i. (1707) 146 We should examine what particular insight and experience they had in those things. 2. a. The fact of penetrating with the eyes of the understanding into the inner character or hidden nature of things; a glimpse or view beneath the surface; the faculty or power of thus seeing.
c1580Sidney Ps. xvii. iii, Where silent Night might seeme all faultes to hide, Then was I, by thy searching insight tride. 1683D. A. Art Converse 26 Obstinacy the product either of great Pride or little Insight. 1812Wordsw. Sonn., Eve Marriage of Friend, When the closer view of wedded life Hath shown that nothing human can be clear From frailty, for that insight may the Wife To her indulgent Lord become more dear. 1840Thirlwall Greece VII. 245 The insight and the effort came too late to be of any avail. 1851–5G. Brimley Ess., Tennyson 3 Mr. Tennyson is a poet of large compass, of profound insight, of finished skill. 1879Farrar St. Paul II. 59 That insight which sees at once into the heart of every moral difficulty. b. With into († in).
1581Sidney Apol. Poetrie (Arb.) 34 Let but Sophocles bring you Aiax on a stage..and tell mee if you haue not a more familiar insight into anger, then finding in the Schoole⁓men his genus and difference? 1586A. Day Eng. Secretary i. (1625) 47 This by insight had into the very worst and lowest sort of men shall you finde. 1590Greene Orpharion Wks. (Grosart) XII. 72 You haue a deeper insight in my thoughts then myself. 1674Owen Holy Spirit (1693) 174 A Spiritual Saving Insight into Spiritual things. 1712Budgell Spect. No. 506 ⁋12 Giving her an insight into things she had no notion of before. 1718Freethinker No. 14 ⁋6 This thorough Insight into the Man..makes me disesteem him. 1863Geo. Eliot Romola (1880) I. Introd. 6 He had gained an insight into all sorts of affairs at home and abroad. 1875J. H. Bennet Winter Medit. i. ix. (1875) 288 Mightily pleased with this little insight into Spanish village life. c. With pl.
1817Coleridge Biog. Lit. 187 The representative and reward of our past conscious reasonings, insights, and conclusions. 1832H. Martineau Demerara ii. 16 His insights into his prospects. 1840Carlyle Heroes ii. (1872) 48 Glimpses of many things..which were to ripen in a strange way into views, into beliefs and insights one day. d. Psychol. In studies of behaviour and learning, the sudden perception of the solution to a problem or difficulty; applied to animals, giving an indication of their capacity for ideas and reasoning. In Psychoanalysis, perception of one's mental condition. Also attrib. and in Comb., as insight-giving, insight-learning, insight therapy.
1909W. James Meaning of Truth xiii. 260 His insistent desire to have a world of that sort is felt by him to be..an altogether peculiar insight-giving passion to which..he would be stupid not to yield. 1916R. M. Yerkes Mental Life Monkeys & Apes iii. 68 The curve of learning plotted..would..be described as an ideational, and possibly even as a rational curve; for its sudden drop..to the base line strongly suggests, if it does not actually prove, insight. Ibid. 87 This young orang utan..strove persistently, and often vainly, to gain insight. 1925E. Winter tr. Köhler's Mentality of Apes vii. 194 Since, however, we have to decide whether chimpanzees ever behave with insight, [etc.]. Ibid. 198 Hence follows this characteristic: to set up as the criterion of insight, the appearance of a complete solution with reference to the whole lay-out of the field. 1949Brit. Birds XLII. 355 These are not necessarily instances of insight learning, but they do represent persistent attempts to reach the milk when the top of the bottle was no longer visible to the bird. 1949M. Mead Male & Female 449 Society is the patient. Those who have been in some way hurt or distorted give us many valuable insights into what is wrong with it. 1956W. H. Thorpe Learning & Instinct in Animals v. 100 Thus insight-learning seems to be a kind of action by hypothesis, and has often been held to be evidence of ideational processes. 1964M. Argyle Psychol. & Social Probl. x. 129 It has been found possible to reduce racial prejudice by means of brief insight-therapy. 1965A. D. Weisman Existential Core of Psychoanal. vi. 139 Insight in psycho⁓analysis often seems to be the result of a resolved conflict, not the cause of its resolution. 1967R. R. Greenson Technique & Pract. Psychoanal. I. i. 44 Only rarely does insight lead very quickly to a change in behavior. †3. a. A mental looking to or upon something; consideration; respect, regard. Obs.
13..E.E. Allit. P. B. 1659 He hade so huge an insyȝt to his aune dedes, Þat þe power, of þe hyȝe prynce he purely, forȝetes. 1390Gower Conf. II. 324 Withoute insihte of moderhede..This child withouten noise or cry Sche slou. Ibid. III. 19 As they, which none insight hadden, But only to her [= their] drunke fare. 1491Caxton Vitas Patr. (W. de W. 1495) ii. 239 a/1, I am become thus drye and lene by the contynuelle ensyght that I had therupon. †b. A view of a subject; a conspectus. (Cf. F. aperçu.) Obs. rare.
1581Lambarde Eiren. (1602) 3 The First Booke, containing a Theoricke (or insight) of the Office of the Iustices of Peace. †4. Sight (of the bodily eyes); looking; looking in, inspection; a look. Obs.
c1350Will. Palerne 94 Þere walked he a boute þe walles to winne in siȝt. c1440Promp. Parv. 262/1 Insyght.., inspexio, circumspeccio. 1530Palsgr. 234/2 Insight, regart. 1577G. Harvey Letter-bk. (Camden) 57 That good Sir Thomas More will deyne His cuntryman at first insight So curtously to interteyne. 1586A. Day Eng. Secretary 1. (1625) 81 There will not bee wanting a number that shall bicker for her, from whose insight, you are altogether unable..to convey her. a1618Sylvester Maiden's Blush 1187 All that..could fore-tell..by in-sight of sacrificed Heards. 1663Gerbier Counsel 47 He must likewise have a clear insight on the Glasse paines of the Glasier. ▪ II. † ˈinsight, n.2 north. Eng. and Sc. Obs. Also 6 Sc. insicht. [Of uncertain derivation. In form the same as prec.; but the sense remains unaccounted for.] Goods, substance, esp. household furniture. b. attrib. as insight gear.
1522Wills & Inv. N.C. (Surtees 1835) 106, I bequethe to my wife all suche goodes within the house as she brought from Petyngton for her parte of insight. 1523St. Papers Hen. VIII, IV. 44 Sir Rauf Fenwike..and Sir William Heron..have made twoo very good roodes, and have gotten moche insight, catall, horse, and prisoners. 1535Stewart Cron. Scot. II. 28 With wyffe and barnis, insicht and all stoir. Ibid. III. 328 Of corne and catell, and of insicht geir. 1536Bellenden Cron. Scot. (1821) I. 132 The bestiail drevin away, the cornis and insicht brint. 1561Wills & Inv. N.C. (Surtees 1835) 193, I gyue and bequithe to my doughter Agnes Lilburne the half of my insight & bedding wthin the howse. 1570Levins Manip. 119/41 Insight of household, supellex. 1592Sc. Acts Jas. VI §125 That nane of them [the commoun sort of people] presume..to beare or vse onie armes..vpon onie their insicht or houshald geare. a1670Spalding Troub. Chas. I (1829) I. 2 [They] begane to rob and spouilzie the earle's tennents..of their haill goods, geir, insight plenishing..and cattell. [1896Blackw. Mag. Aug. 257 It must have been stripped of all ‘insight’, as our forefathers used to call hangings, carpets and furniture.] ▪ III. † inˈsight, v. Obs. rare—1. [f. in-2 + sight.] trans. To furnish with sight, to give sight to.
1577–87Holinshed Chron. II. 19/1 It surpasseth natures course to raise the dead, to lighten or insight the blind. |