quword 趣词
Word Origins Dictionary
- kirschwasser (n.)[kirschwasser 词源字典]
- "liquor distilled from fermented cherry juice," 1819, from German Kirschwasser, literally "cherry-water;" first element from Middle High German kirse, from Old High German kirsa, from Vulgar Latin *ceresia, from Late Latin cerasium "cherry" (see cherry). For second element, see water (n.1).[kirschwasser etymology, kirschwasser origin, 英语词源]
- kirtle (n.)
- "a man's tunic; a woman's skirt," Old English cyrtel, related to Old Norse kyrtill "tunic;" both regarded as probably from Latin curtus "short" (see curt) + diminutive suffix -el (2).
- kismet (n.)
- "fate, destiny," 1834, from Turkish qismet, from Arabic qismah, qismat "portion, lot, fate," from root of qasama "he divided."
From a nation of enthusiasts and conquerors, the Osmanlis became a nation of sleepers and smokers. They came into Europe with the sword in one hand and the Koran in the other: were they driven out of their encampment, it would be with the Koran in one hand and the pipe in the other, crying: 'Kismet! Kismet! Allah kehrim!' (God hath willed it! God is great!) [Dr. James O. Noyes, "The Ottoman Empire," "The Knickerbocker," October 1858]
Popularized as the title of a novel in 1877. - kiss (v.)
- Old English cyssan "to kiss," from Proto-Germanic *kussjan (cognates: Old Saxon kussian, Old Norse kyssa, Old Frisian kessa, Middle Dutch cussen, Dutch, Old High German kussen, German küssen, Norwegian and Danish kysse, Swedish kyssa), from *kuss-, probably ultimately imitative of the sound. Related: Kissed; kissing. For vowel evolution, see bury. There appears to be no common Indo-European root word for "kiss," though suggestions of a common ku- sound may be found in the Germanic root and Greek kynein "to kiss," Hittite kuwash-anzi "they kiss," Sanskrit cumbati "he kisses."
Kissing, as an expression of affection or love, is unknown among many races, and in the history of mankind seems to be a late substitute for the more primitive rubbing of noses, sniffing, and licking. [Buck, p.1113]
Some languages make a distinction between the kiss of affection and that of erotic love (compare Latin saviari "erotic kiss," vs. osculum, literally "little mouth"). French embrasser "kiss," but literally "embrace," came about in 17c. when the older word baiser (from Latin basiare) acquired an obscene connotation. Insulting invitation kiss my ass is at least from 1705, but probably much older (see "The Miller's Tale"). - kiss (n.)
- Old English coss; see kiss (v.). It became Middle English cuss, but this yielded to kiss, from the verb. Kiss of death in figurative sense "thing that signifies impending failure" is from 1944 (Billboard, Oct. 21), ultimately in reference to Judas's kiss in Gethsemane (Matt. xxvi:48-50). The kiss of peace was, in Old English, sibbecoss (for first element, see sibling).
- kissable (adj.)
- 1783, from kiss (v.) + -able. Related: Kissably; kissability.
- kisser (n.)
- slang for "mouth," attested from 1860, agent noun from kiss (v.).
- kist (n.)
- "chest," c. 1300, from Old Norse kista "chest," from Latin cista (see chest).
- kit (n.1)
- late 13c., "round wooden tub," perhaps from Middle Dutch kitte "jug, tankard, wooden container," of unknown origin. Meaning "collection of personal effects," especially for traveling (originally in reference to a soldier), is from 1785; that of "outfit of tools for a workman" is from 1851. Of drum sets, by 1929. Meaning "article to be assembled by the buyer" is from 1930s.
- kit (n.2)
- "small fiddle used by dancing teachers," 1510s, probably a shortening of Old English cythere, from Latin cithara, from Greek kithara (see guitar).
- kit and caboodle (n.)
- also kaboodle, 1861, from kit (n.1) in dismissive sense "number of things viewed as a whole" (1785) + boodle "lot, collection," perhaps from Dutch boedel "property." Kit also was paired with other words in similar formations.
- kit-cat
- club founded by Whig politicians in London, 1703; so called from Christopher ("Kit") Catling, keeper of the tavern on Shire Lane, near Temple Bar, in which the club first met. Meaning "a size of portrait less than half length" (1754), supposedly is because the dining room in which portraits of club members hung was too low for half-length portraits.
- kit-fox (n.)
- 1812, perhaps from a shortening of kitten, in reference to smallness.
- kitab (n.)
- Islamic, "a book," especially the Quran or the Bible, 1885, from Arabic kitab "book," literally "a writing," from Aramaic kethabh "a writing."
- kitch (n.)
- colloquial shortening of kitchen, attested by 1919. Sometimes also an erroneous spelling of kitsch.
- kitchen (n.)
- c. 1200, from Old English cycene, from Proto-Germanic *kokina (cognates: Middle Dutch cökene, Old High German chuhhina, German Küche, Danish kjøkken), probably borrowed from Vulgar Latin *cocina (source also of French cuisine, Spanish cocina), variant of Latin coquina "kitchen," from fem. of coquinus "of cooks," from coquus "cook," from coquere "to cook" (see cook (n.)).
The Old English word might be directly from Vulgar Latin. Kitchen cabinet "informal but powerful set of advisors" is American English slang, 1832, originally in reference to administration of President Andrew Jackson. Kitchen midden (1863) in archaeology translates Danish kjøkken mødding. Surname Kitchener ("one in charge of a monastic kitchen") is from early 14c. Old English also had cycenðenung "service in the kitchen." - kitchen sink (n.)
- attested by 1824. Phrase everything but (or and) the kitchen sink is 1944, from World War II armed forces slang, in reference to intense bombardment.
Out for blood, our Navy throws everything but the kitchen sink at Jap vessels, warships and transports alike. [Shell fuel advertisement, "Life," Jan. 24, 1944]
- kitchenette (n.)
- 1905, American English, a hybrid from kitchen + -ette.
- kite (n.)
- bird of prey (Milvus ictinus), Old English cyta "kind of hawk," probably imitative of its cries (compare ciegan "to call," German Kauz "screech owl"). The toy kite first so-called 1660s, from its way of hovering in the air like a bird. The dismissive invitation to go fly a kite is attested by 1942, American English, probably tracing to the popular song of the same name (lyrics by Johnny Burke), sung by Bing Crosby in "The Star Maker" (1939):
Go fly a kite and tie your troubles to the tail
They'll be blown away by a merry gale,
Go fly a kite and toss your worries to the wind
And they won't come back, they'll be too chagrined.
- kite (v.)
- "write a fictitious check," 1839, American English, from 1805 phrase fly a kite "raise money by issuing commercial paper on nonexistent funds;" see kite (n.). Related: Kited; kiting.