英语词源字典 - 在线词源网站

infer (v.)[infer 词源字典]: 1520s, from Latin inferre "bring into, carry in; deduce, infer, conclude, draw an inference; bring against," from in- "in" (see in- (2)) + ferre "carry, bear," from PIE *bher- (1) "to bear, to carry, to take" (cognates: Sanskrit bharati "carries;" Avestan baraiti "carries;" Old Persian barantiy "they carry;" Armenian berem "I carry;" Greek pherein "to carry;" Old Irish beru/berim "I catch, I bring forth;" Gothic bairan "to carry;" Old English and Old High German beran, Old Norse bera "barrow;" Old Church Slavonic birati "to take;" Russian brat' "to take," bremya "a burden"). Sense of "draw a conclusion" is first attested 1520s.[infer etymology, infer origin, 英语词源]
inference (n.): 1590s, from Medieval Latin inferentia, from Latin inferentem (nominative inferens), present participle of inferre (see infer).
inferential (adj.): 1650s, from Medieval Latin inferentia (see inference) + adj. suffix -al (1).
inferior (adj.): early 15c., of land, "low, lower," from Latin inferior "lower, further down" (also used figuratively), comparative of inferus (adj.) "that is below or beneath," from infra "below" (see infra-). Meaning "lower in degree, rank, or importance" is from 1530s; also in an absolute sense, "of low quality or rank."
inferior (n.): "person inferior to another in rank, etc.," early 15c., from inferior (adj.).
inferiority (n.): 1590s, probably from Medieval Latin *inferioritas; see inferior + -ity. Inferiority complex first attested 1922.
The surrender of life is nothing to sinking down into acknowledgment of inferiority. [John C. Calhoun]
infernal (adj.): late 14c., in reference to the underworld, from Old French enfernal, infernal (12c.), from Late Latin infernalis "of the lower regions," from infernus "hell" (Ambrose), literally "the lower (world)," noun use of Latin infernus "lower, lying beneath," from infra "below" (see infra-). Meaning "devilish, hateful" is from early 15c. For the name of the place, or things which resemble it, the Italian form inferno has been used in English since 1834, from Dante. Related: Infernally.
inferno (n.): 1834, from Italian inferno, from Latin infernus (see infernal).
infertile (adj.): 1590s, from French infertile (late 15c.), from Late Latin infertilis "unfruitful," from in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + fertilis (see fertile).
infertility (n.): c. 1600, from Late Latin infertilitatem (nominative infertilitas), from infertilis (see infertile).
infest (v.): late 15c., "to attack, assail, hurt, distress, annoy," from Middle French infester, from Latin infestare "to attack, disturb, trouble," from infestus "hostile, dangerous," originally "inexorable, not able to be handled," from in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + -festus "(able to be) seized." Sense of "swarm over in large numbers" first recorded c. 1600. Related: Infested; infesting.
infestation (n.): early 15c., from Late Latin infestationem (nominative infestatio) "a troubling, disturbing, molesting," noun of action from past participle stem of infestare (see infest).
infibulate (v.): 1620s, from Latin infibulatus, past participle of infibulare "to close with a clasp," from in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + fibula "a clasp, pin" (see fibula). Related: Infibulated.
infibulation (n.): 1640s, noun of action from infibulate.
infidel: mid-15c. (adjective and noun), from Middle French infidèle, from Latin infidelis "unfaithful, not to be trusted," later "unbelieving," from in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + fidelis "faithful" (see fidelity). In 15c. "a non-Christian" (especially a Saracen); later "one who does not believe in religion" (1520s). Also used to translate Arabic qafir, which is from a root meaning "to disbelieve, to deny," strictly referring to all non-Muslims but virtually synonymous with "Christian;" hence, from a Muslim or Jewish point of view, "a Christian" (1530s; see kaffir).
infidelity (n.): c. 1400, "want of faith, unbelief in religion; false belief, paganism;" also (early 15c.) "unfaithfulness or disloyalty to a person" (originally to a sovereign, by 16c. to a lover or spouse), from French infidélité, from Latin infidelitatem (nominative infidelitas) "unfaithfulness, faithlessness," noun of quality from infidelis (see infidel).
infield (n.): 1733, "the land of a farm which lies nearest the homestead," from in + field. Baseball diamond sense first attested 1867. Related: Infielder.
infiltrate (v.): 1758, of fluids, from in- (2) "in" + filtrate. Related: Infiltrated; infiltrating. Military sense of "penetrate enemy lines" attested from 1934.
infiltration (n.): early 15c., "a knitting together," noun of action from infiltrate. In physics, from 1796. Figurative sense of "a passing into" (anything immaterial) is from 1840; military sense of "stealthy penetration of enemy lines" dates from 1930.
infinite (adj.): late 14c., "eternal, limitless," also "extremely great in number," from Old French infinit "endless, boundless," and directly from Latin infinitus "unbounded, unlimited," from in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + finitus "defining, definite," from finis "end" (see finish (v.)). The noun meaning "that which is infinite" is from 1580s.