legend
Definitions
A traditional story from the past, often involving heroes, sometimes regarded as historical but unverified.
传说，传奇故事。
An extremely famous or admired person.
传奇人物。
An explanatory key to the symbols on a map or chart.
（地图/图表的）图例，说明。
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedFrom Latin legenda, 'things that must be read' (leg = read + -enda 'to be done'). Originally the saints' lives read aloud on feast days. Two senses survive: the 'famous old story' (a tale worth reading/retelling), and the map 'legend' (the key you must read to decode the symbols) — the latter keeps the literal 'to be read' meaning.
Root lect still carries 128 more wordsWhy It Means This
Legend literally means 'what is to be read.' In the Middle Ages, the Legenda was the book of saints' lives read aloud during meals and services. As those stories grew more wondrous and less verifiable, 'legend' came to mean a famous old tale, and then a famous person. The map 'legend' is a separate survival of the plain meaning: the text you must read to understand the symbols.
Common Collocations
- 1.ancient legend古老传说
- 2.living legend活着的传奇
- 3.urban legend都市传说
- 4.map legend地图图例
Example Sentences
- 1.
According to legend, a dragon once lived in these hills.
- 2.
He is a living legend in the world of jazz.
- 3.
Check the legend to see what each color means.