Obsequious

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late 15c., "prompt to serve," from Middle French obséquieux (15c.), from Latin obsequiosus "compliant, obedient," from obsequium "compliance, dutiful service," from obsequi "to accommodate oneself to the will of another," from ob "after" + sequi "to follow". Pejorative sense of "fawning, sycophantic" had emerged by 1590s. Related: Obsequiously; obsequiousness (mid-15c.).

"obsequious" 常用来形容过分殷勤、奉承或卑躬屈膝的行为。

来源于拉丁文 "obsequiosus"，这本身是基于 "obsequium" 的，意为“服从”或“顺从”。这个词进一步可以被拆分为：

1. Ob-: 一个前缀，常常意味着“向”或“因为”。
2. Sequi: 这个动词意为“跟随”。

因此，"obsequious" 的字面意思是“倾向于跟随”的，这表达了一个愿意跟随或服从他人，特别是权威或高级人物的倾向。

随着时间的推移，这个词的含义发展为描述那些为了赢得恩惠或避免不利而过分顺从或奉承的人。