quword 趣词
Word Origins Dictionary
- nave (n.1)[nave 词源字典]
- "main part of a church," 1670s, from Medieval Latin navem (nominative navis) "nave of a church," from Latin navis "ship" (see naval), on some fancied resemblance in shape.[nave etymology, nave origin, 英语词源]
- nave (n.2)
- "hub of a wheel," Old English nafu, from Proto-Germanic *nabo- (cognates: Old Saxon naba, Old Norse nöf, Middle Dutch nave, Dutch naaf, Old High German naba, German Nabe), perhaps connected with the root of navel on notion of centrality (compare Latin umbilicus "navel," also "the end of a roller of a scroll," Greek omphalos "navel," also "the boss of a shield").
- navel (n.)
- Old English nafela, nabula, from Proto-Germanic *nabalan (cognates: Old Norse nafli, Danish and Swedish navle, Old Frisian navla, Middle Dutch and Dutch navel, Old High German nabalo, German Nabel), from PIE *(o)nobh- "navel" (cognates: Sanskrit nabhila "navel, nave, relationship;" Avestan nafa "navel," naba-nazdishta "next of kin;" Persian naf; Latin umbilicus "navel;" Old Prussian nabis "navel;" Greek omphalos; Old Irish imbliu). For Romanic words, see umbilicus.
The cords of all link back, strandentwining cable of all flesh. [Joyce, "Ulysses"]
"Navel" words from other roots include Lithuanian bamba, Sanskrit bimba- (also "disk, sphere"), Greek bembix, literally "whirlpool." Old Church Slavonic papuku, Lithuanian pumpuras are originally "bud." Considered a feminine sexual center since ancient times, and still in parts of the Middle East, India, and Japan. In medieval Europe, it was averred that "[t]he seat of wantonness in women is the navel." [Cambridge bestiary, C.U.L. ii.4.26] Words for it in most languages have a secondary sense of "center." Meaning "center or hub of a country" is attested in English from late 14c. To contemplate (one's) navel "meditate" is from 1933; hence navel-gazer (1952); see also omphaloskepsis. Navel orange attested from 1888. - navicular (adj.)
- "boat-shaped," 1540s, from Late Latin navicularis "pertaining to a boat," from navicula, diminutive of navis "ship" (see naval).
- navigable (adj.)
- mid-15c., from Old French navigable (14c.) or directly from Latin navigabilis, from navigat-, past participle stem of navigare (see navigation). Related: Navigability.
- navigate (v.)
- 1580s, a back-formation from navigation, or else from Latin navigatus, past participle of navigare. Extended to balloons (1784) and later to aircraft (1901). Related: Navigated; navigating.
- navigation (n.)
- 1530s, from Middle French navigation (14c.) or directly from Latin navigationem (nominative navigatio) "a sailing, navigation, voyage," noun of action from past participle stem of navigare "to sail, sail over, go by sea, steer a ship," from navis "ship" (see naval) + root of agere "to drive" (see act (n.)).
- navigational (adj.)
- 1884, from navigation + -al.
- navigator (n.)
- 1580s, "one who navigates," from Latin navigator "sailor," agent noun from navigat-, stem of navigare (see navigation). Meaning "laborer employed in excavating a canal" is 1775, from sense in inland navigation "communication by canals and rivers" (1727).
- navvy (n.)
- "laborer on a canal or railroad," 1832, colloquial shortening of navigator (q.v.) in its sense of "one who digs navigation canals."
- navy (n.)
- early 14c., "fleet of ships," especially for purposes of war, from Old French navie "fleet; ship," from Latin navigia, plural of navigium "vessel, boat," from navis "ship" (see naval). Meaning "a nation's collective, organized sea power" is from 1530s. The Old English words were sciphere (usually of Viking invaders) and scipfierd (usually of the home defenses). Navy blue was the color of the British naval uniform. Navy bean attested from 1856, so called because they were grown to be used by the Navy.
- nay
- word of negation, late 12c., from a Scandinavian source such as Old Norse nei, compound of ne "not" (see un-) + ei "ever" (see aye (2)).
- naysayer (n.)
- 1721, from verb naysay (implied from 1530s in naysaying); from nay + say (v.). Nay-say "refusal" is from 1630s.
- Nazarene (n.)
- c. 1200, "holy man;" early 13c., "a native or resident of Nazareth," childhood home of Jesus, from Late Latin Nazarenus, from Greek Nazarenos, from Hebrew Natzerath. As an adjective from late 13c. As "a follower of Jesus" from late 14c. In Talmudic Hebrew notzri, literally "of Nazareth," meant "a Christian;" likewise Arabic Nasrani (plural Nasara). In Christian use, however, it can be a nickname for Jesus, or refer to an early Jewish Christian sect (1680s in English), or, in modern use, to a member of the Church of the Nazarene, a U.S.-based Protestant denomination (1898 in this sense).
- Nazareth
- town in Lower Galilee, childhood home of Jesus, from Hebrew Natzerath, of unknown origin, perhaps a corruption of Gennesaret "Sea of Galilee." An obscure village, not named in the Old Testament or contemporary rabbinical texts.
- Nazi
- 1930, noun and adjective, from German Nazi, abbreviation of German pronunciation of Nationalsozialist (based on earlier German sozi, popular abbreviation of "socialist"), from Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei "National Socialist German Workers' Party," led by Hitler from 1920.
The 24th edition of Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache (2002) says the word Nazi was favored in southern Germany (supposedly from c. 1924) among opponents of National Socialism because the nickname Nazi, Naczi (from the masc. proper name Ignatz, German form of Ignatius) was used colloquially to mean "a foolish person, clumsy or awkward person." Ignatz was a popular name in Catholic Austria, and according to one source in World War I Nazi was a generic name in the German Empire for the soldiers of Austria-Hungary.
An older use of Nazi for national-sozial is attested in German from 1903, but EWdS does not think it contributed to the word as applied to Hitler and his followers. The NSDAP for a time attempted to adopt the Nazi designation as what the Germans call a "despite-word," but they gave this up, and the NSDAP is said to have generally avoided the term. Before 1930, party members had been called in English National Socialists, which dates from 1923. The use of Nazi Germany, Nazi regime, etc., was popularized by German exiles abroad. From them, it spread into other languages, and eventually was brought back to Germany, after the war. In the USSR, the terms national socialist and Nazi were said to have been forbidden after 1932, presumably to avoid any taint to the good word socialist. Soviet literature refers to fascists. - Nazism (n.)
- also Naziism, 1934, from Nazi + -ism. Perhaps based on French Nazisme (1930).
- ne plus ultra
- "utmost limit to which one can go," Latin, literally "no more beyond;" the motto traditionally inscribed on the Pillars of Hercules.
- ne'er
- c. 1200, contraction of never.
- ne'er-do-well (n.)
- "one who is good for nothing," 1737, Scottish and northern English dialect, from contraction of phrase never do well. The adjective is first recorded 1773.