密歇根新闻广播 The secrets secretaries keep

 

When you learned how to spell "secretary," did anyone ever tell you this trick?

"A secretary is someone who keeps a secret."

Though "secretary" probably doesn't turn up much in your day-to-day correspondence, this is still a decent way to avoid spelling it incorrectly. It's also true.

When "secretary" first comes into English in the 1300s, it refers to someone who is entrusted¹ with private or secret matters. In this early period, "secretary" is also used figuratively. For example, "The night was secretary to my lonely thoughts."

By the 1400s, "secretary" takes on the meaning that we're familiar with today, which is someone whose job it is to write for someone else. They manage correspondence, keep records, etc.

Another familiar meaning comes along by the late 1500s. That's when "secretary" becomes an official designation for a set of ministers who were presiding over executive departments of state.

These days, titles like "administrative² assistant" are often favored in office settings. However, "secretary" remains³ a formal term for high offices in government. In the Corpus of Contemporary American English, most examples are in things like "secretary of defense⁴" and "secretary of commerce."

1 entrusted   

v.委托，托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He entrusted the task to his nephew. 他把这任务托付给了他的侄儿。
• She was entrusted with the direction of the project. 她受委托负责这项计划。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 administrative   

adj.行政的，管理的

参考例句：

• The administrative burden must be lifted from local government.必须解除地方政府的行政负担。
• He regarded all these administrative details as beneath his notice.他认为行政管理上的这些琐事都不值一顾。

3 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

4 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。