逼自己（也希望大家一起）學完韋氏字根詞典（7）——CRIM

02-28

CRIM comes from the Latin words for 「fault or crime」 or 「accusation.」（源自於拉丁語，「過錯」、「犯罪」和「指責」） Its obvious where the root shows up most commonly in English. A crime is an act forbidden by the government, which the government itself will punish you for, and for which you may be branded a criminal. A crime is usually more serious than a tort (see TORT)「通常，crime比tort更嚴重」, a 「civil wrong」 for which the wronged person must himself sue if he wants to get repaid in some way.

criminology The study of crime, criminals, law enforcement, and punishment.

? His growing interest in criminology led him to become a probation officer.

Criminology includes the study of all aspects of crime and law enforcement—criminal psychology, the social setting of crime, prohibition and prevention, investigation and detection, capture and punishment. Thus, many of the people involved—legislators, social workers, probation officers, judges, etc.—could possibly be considered criminologists, though the word usually refers only to scholars and researchers.

decriminalize To remove or reduce the criminal status of.

? An angry debate over decriminalizing doctor-assisted suicide raged all day in the statehouse.

Decriminalization of various 「victimless crimes」—crimes that dont directly harm others, such as private gambling and drug-taking—has been recommended by conservatives as well as liberals, who often claim that it would ease the burden on the legal system, decrease the amount of money flowing to criminals, and increase personal liberty. Decriminalization is not the same as legalization; decriminalization may still call for a small fine (like a traffic ticket), and may apply only to use or possession of something, leaving the actual sale of goods or services illegal.

incriminate To show evidence of involvement in a crime or a fault.

? The muddy tracks leading to and from the cookie jar were enough to incriminate them.

Testimony may incriminate a suspect by placing him at the scene of a crime, and incriminating evidence is the kind that strongly links him to it. But the word doesnt always refer to an actual crime. We can say, for instance, that a virus has been incriminated as the cause of a type of cancer, or that video games have been incriminated in the decline in study skills among young people.

recrimination (1) An accusation in answer to an accusation made against oneself. (2) The making of such an accusation.

? Their failure to find help led to endless and pointless recriminations over responsibility for the accident.

Defending oneself from a verbal attack by means of a counterattack is as natural as physical self-defense. So a disaster often brings recriminations among those connected with it, and divorces and child-custody battles usually involve recriminations between husband and wife. An actual crime isnt generally involved, but it may be; when two suspects start exchanging angry recriminations after theyve been picked up, it often leads to one of them turning against the other in court.