有趣的英语词源-MOTS-搜狐博客

有趣的英语词源
分类：词源 2009-01-03 12:33
World
它本身是由vir(man)+old构成的。
O.E. woruld, worold "human existence, the affairs of life," also "the human race, mankind," a word peculiar to Gmc. languages (cf. O.S. werold, O.Fris. warld, Du. wereld, O.N. verold, O.H.G. weralt, Ger. Welt), with a literal sense of "age of man," from P.Gmc. *wer "man" (O.E. wer, still in werewolf; seevirile) + *ald "age" (seeold). Originally "life on earth, this world (as opposed to the afterlife)," sense extended to "the known world" (e.g. "Greatest Show on Earth"), then to "the physical world in the broadest sense, the universe" (c.1200).
Travel
本意是受难，工作，来源于法语travailler,意思是工作，而其词源的字面意思就更恐怖了，是3根钉子。Travel:c.1375, "to journey," from travailen (1300) "to make a journey," originally "to toil, labor" (seetravail). Travail:"labor, toil," c.1250, from O.Fr. travail "suffering or painful effort, trouble" (12c.), from travailler "to toil, labor," originally "to trouble, torture," from V.L. *tripaliare "to torture," from *tripalium (in L.L. trepalium) "instrument of torture," probably from L. tripalis "having three stakes" (from tria, tres "three" + palus "stake")。
Interest
c.1425, earlier interesse (c.1374), from Anglo-Fr. interesse "what one has a legal concern in," from M.L. interesse "compensation for loss," from L. interresse "to concern, make a difference, be of importance," lit. "to be between," from inter- "between" + esse "to be."
Bus
是Omnibus，是拉丁文 omnis(=all)的复数与格（第三格）形式,意思是“供大众使用的交通工具”。Omnibus:1829, "four-wheeled public vehicle with seats for passengers," from Fr. (voiture) omnibus "(carriage) for all, common (conveyance)," from L. omnibus "for all," dat. pl. of omnis "all" (see omni-). Introduced by Laffitte in Paris, 1820.
Restaurant
1827, from Fr. restaurant "a restaurant" (said to have been used in Paris c.1765 by Boulanger), originally "food that restores," noun use of prp. of restaurer "to restore or refresh," from O.Fr. restorer (see restore). Restaurateur is 1796, from Fr. restaurateur, agent noun from restaurer "to restore," on model of L.L. restaurator "restorer.
Car
其实是carry的名词。Carry:c.1320, from Anglo-Fr. carier "to transport in a vehicle," from Gallo-Romance *carrizare, from L.L. carricare, from L. carrum (seecar). Car:1301, "wheeled vehicle," from Norm.-Fr. carre, from L. carrum, carrus (pl. carra), orig. "two-wheeled Celtic war chariot," from Gaul. karros, from PIE *krsos, from base *kers- "to run." Extension to "automobile" is 1896.
Album
它是拉丁文albus(adj."white")的中性形式，原意是空白的书，"a blank tablet on which the prætor's edicts and other public matters were inscribed."
Programme
来源于希腊语，原意是事先写好的（pro+graph)。1633, "public notice," from L.L. programma "proclamation, edict," from Gk. programma (gen. programmatos) "a written public notice," from stem of prographein "to write publicly," from pro- "forth" + graphein "to write."
Mayor
来源于拉丁文magnum(adj.big)
Search
来源于拉丁文cercare,from "circus",go about, wander, traverse.
Tradition
trans+dare(v."to give").很形象哦，跟汉语的意思也一致。c.1380, from O.Fr. tradicion (1292), from L. traditionem (nom. traditio) "delivery, surrender, a handing down," from traditus, pp. of tradere "deliver, hand over,"
Fear,Peril
O.E. fær "danger, peril," from P.Gmc. *færa (cf. O.S. far "ambush," O.N. far "harm, distress, deception," Ger. Gefahr "danger"), from PIE base *per- "to try, risk, come over, go through" (perhaps connected with Gk. peira "trial, attempt, experience," L. periculum "trial, risk, danger").
Enemy
来源于拉丁文“inimicus”,from in- "not" + amicus "friend".
Malady
from L. male habitus(pp. of habere "have, hold")。