英语词源字典 - 在线词源网站

arch-[arch- 词源字典]: also archi-, word-forming element meaning "chief, principal; extreme, ultra; early, primitive," from Latinized form of Greek arkh-, arkhi- "first, chief, primeval," comb. form of arkhos "chief" (see archon).[arch- etymology, arch- origin, 英语词源]
beach-comber (n.): 1840, from beach (n.) + agent noun from comb (v.).
bench-warmer (n.): 1892, baseball slang; see bench.
The days for "bench-warmers" with salaries are also past. ["New York Sporting News," Jan. 9, 1892]
Old English had bencsittend "one who sits on a bench."
Catch-22 (n.): from the title of Joseph Heller's 1961 novel. In widespread use only after release of the movie based on the book in 1970. The "catch" is that a bomber pilot is insane if he flies combat missions without asking to be relieved from duty, and is thus eligible to be relieved from duty. But if he asks to be relieved from duty, that means he's sane and has to keep flying.
There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which specified that a concern for one's safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind. Orr was crazy and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did, he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly more missions. Orr would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn't, but if he was sane he had to fly them. If he flew them he was crazy and didn't have to; but if he didn't want to he was sane and had to. Yossarian was moved very deeply by the absolute simplicity of this clause of Catch-22 and let out a respectful whistle.

"That's some catch, that Catch-22," he observed.

"It's the best there is," Doc Daneeka agreed.
See catch (n.).
catch-all (n.): also catchall, 1838, from catch (v.) + all.
catch-up (n.): "a working to overtake a leading rival," by 1971, probably a figurative use from U.S. football in reference to being behind in the score. From verbal phrase catch up, which was used from early 14c. in sense "raise aloft" and from 1855 in sense "overtake;" see catch (v.) + up (adv.).
couch-grass (n.): 1570s; the first element is a corruption of Old English cwice (see quick).
earth-bound (adj.): c. 1600, from earth (n.) + bound (adj.). Figurative sense is from 1869.
earth-mother (n.): 1870, folkloric spirit of the earth, conceived as sensual, maternal; often a translation of German erdmutter. Earth-goddess is from 1837.
faith-healer (n.): Also faith healer, attested by 1874; from faith + healer. Faith-curer is from 1883.
The power which a man's imagination has over his body to heal it or make it sick is a force which none of us is born without. The first man had it, the last one will possess it. If left to himself, a man is most likely to use only the mischievous half of the force--the half which invents imaginary ailments for him and cultivates them; and if he is one of those very wise people, he is quite likely to scoff at the beneficent half of the force and deny its existence. [Mark Twain, "Christian Science," 1907]
fish-hook: late 14c., from fish (n.) + hook (n.).
fish-tail (n.): 1840, "the tail of a fish," from fish (n.) + tail (n.). As a verb, also fishtail, 1927, originally of aircraft, later automobiles. Related: Fishtailed; fishtailing.
fish-tank (n.): 1921 as an ornamental object, from fish (n.) + tank (n.).
flash-point (n.): also flashpoint, "temperature at which vapor will ignite momentarily," 1869, from flash (v.) + point (n.). Figurative use by 1955. Slightly earlier as flashing-point (1867).
fresh-water (adj.): also freshwater, 1520s, from fresh (adj.1) + water (n.1).
get-rich-quick (adj.): in reference to projects or schemes, American English, 1891, when there was a rash of them, from the verbal phrase.
haunch-bone (n.): late 14c., from haunch + bone (n.).
health-care (n.): also healthcare, 1917, originally in reference to the German Empire, from health + care (n.).
heigh-ho (interj.): c. 1400 as part of the refrain of a song; by 1660s as an exclamation to express yawning, sighing, etc.; see hey.
high-class (adj.): 1864, from high (adj.) + class (n.).
high-falutin': also highfalutin, 1848, U.S. slang, possibly from high-flying, or flown, or even flute.
high-five: originally U.S. basketball slang, 1980 as a noun, 1981 as a verb, though the greeting itself seems to be older (Dick Shawn in "The Producers," 1968). In reference to the five fingers of the hand.
high-minded (adj.): c. 1500, "arrogant;" 1550s, "morally lofty," from high (adj.) + minded. Related: High-mindedness.
high-powered (adj.): 1903, originally of automobiles, from high (adj.) + power (v.).
high-roller (n.): "extravagant spender," by 1873, American English, probably originally a reference to a gambler throwing dice.
high-strung (adj.): also high strung, 1848 in the figurative sense, from high (adj.) + strung. Originally a musical term, with reference to stringed instruments, where it is attested from 1748.
high-tail (v.): also hightail "move quickly," attested by 1890, U.S. slang from cattle ranches (animals fleeing with elevated tails); from high (adj.) + tail (n.). Related: Hightailed; hightailing.
high-toned (adj.): 1779 of musical pitch, 1807 of morality, from high (adj.) + tone.
Koh-i-noor (n.): famous diamond, one of the British crown jewels after the annexation of Punjab in 1849, from Persian koh-i-nur, literally "mountain of light," from Persian koh "mountain" + Arabic nur "light."
mah-jongg (n.): 1922, from dialectal Chinese (Shanghai) ma chiang, name of the game, literally "sparrows," from ma "hemp" + chiang "little birds." The game so called from the design of the pieces. It had a vogue in Europe and the U.S. 1922-23 and for a time threatened to supplant bridge in popularity.
match-girl (n.): 1765, from match (n.1) + girl. The tragic story of "The Little Match-Girl" (Danish title Den lille pige med svovlstikkerne) by H.C. Andersen was published first in 1845, translated into English by 1847.
match-head (n.): 1860, from match (n.1) + head (n.).
mouth-watering (adj.): 1822, from mouth (n.) + water (v.).
north-bound (adj.): 1903, from north + bound (adj.2).
north-easter (n.): sometimes nor'easter, "wind blowing from the northeast," 1794, from northeast.
pitch-pipe (n.): 1711, from pitch (n.) in the musical sense + pipe (n.1).
pooh-bah (n.): "leader who maintains excessive bureaucratic control," 1888, from Pooh-Bah, the name of the "Lord High Everything Else" character in Gilbert and Sullivan's "The Mikado" (1885).
pooh-pooh (v.): "to dismiss lightly and contemptuously," 1827, a slang reduplication of dismissive expression pooh. Among the many 19th century theories of the origin of language was the Pooh-pooh theory (1860), which held that language grew from natural expressions of surprise, joy, pain, or grief.
punch-bowl (n.): 1690s, from punch (n.2) + bowl (n.).
push-button (adj.): "characterized by the use of push-buttons," 1945, originally of military systems, earlier "operated by push-buttons" (1903), from push-button (n.), 1865, from push (v.) + button (n.). Earlier was press-button (1892), from the noun (1879).
push-off (n.): "act of pushing off," 1902, from verbal phrase, from push (v.) + off (adv.).
push-up (n.): also pushup, type of physical exercise, 1893, from push (v.) + up (adv.). As an adjective from 1892; of bras from 1957. Related: Push-ups
rh-: consonantal digraph used in Latin (and thus in English words from Latin) to represent Greek initial aspirated -r-.
rough-hewn (adj.): 1520s, originally of timber, from rough-hew (v.); see rough (adj.) + hew (v.).
rough-house (n.): 1887, "uproar, disturbance," from rough (adj.) + house (n.). The verb is first attested 1896. Related: Rough-housing.
-sch-: this letter group can represent five distinct sounds in English; it first was used by Middle English writers to render Old English sc-, the pronunciation of which then simplified to "-sh-" (an evolution that also took place in Middle Dutch and Middle High German). Sometimes it was miswritten for -ch-. It also was taken in from German (schnapps) and Yiddish (schlemiel). In words derived from classical languages, it represents Latin sch-, Greek skh- but in some of these words (such as schism) the English spelling is a restoration and the pronunciation does not follow it.
sch-: this letter group can represent five distinct sounds in English; it first was used by Middle English writers to render Old English sc-, a sound now generally pronounced (and spelled) "-sh-." Sometimes it was miswritten for -ch-. It also was taken in from German (schnapps) and Yiddish (schlemiel). In words derived from classical languages, it represents Latin sch-, Greek skh-, but in some of these words the spelling is a restoration and the pronunciation does not follow it (as in schism).
sh-: sound represented in Old English by -sc- (fisc "fish"), which originally was pronounced "-sk-" but which by late Old English had softened to "-sh-." Modern English words with -sc- mostly are imports (generally Scandinavian).

The "sh" sound did not exist in Old French, therefore French scribes after the Norman conquest often represented it with -ssh- in medial and final positions, and sch- in initial positions (schape, schamful, schaft for shape, shameful, shaft). But the spelling -sh- has been standard since Caxton, probably as a worn-down form of Middle English -sch-.

In some East Anglian texts from 14c.-15c., x- is used (xal, xulde for shall, should), which would have given the language a very different look had it prevailed, but the London-based sh- ended up as the standard form. The same Germanic sound has become, by natural evolution, modern German and Dutch sch-, Scandinavian sk-.
shih-tzu (n.): also shih tzu, breed of small long-haired dog, 1921, from Chinese shizigou, from shi "lion" + zi "son" + gou "dog."
smash-up (n.): "collision," 1841, from verbal phrase; see smash (v.) + up (adv.).