英语词源字典 - 在线词源网站

caterpillar [caterpillar 词源字典]: caterpillar: [15] Etymologically, a caterpillar is a ‘hairy cat’. The word comes ultimately from late Latin *catta pilōsa: catta is the source of English cat, while pilōsus ‘hairy’ is a derivative of Latin pilus ‘hair’, from which English gets pile of a carpet. In Old French *catta pilōsa became chatepelose, which passed into English as catyrpel.

The present-day form arose in the 16th century, probably from association with the now obsolete piller ‘plunderer’ (related to English pillage) – caterpillars being regarded, of course, as plunderers of leaves. The notion that caterpillars resemble small furry mammals is also reflected in such names as pussmoth and woolly bear.
=> cat, pile[caterpillar etymology, caterpillar origin, 英语词源]
Carnivora (n.): order of mammals, 1830, from Latin (animalia) carnivora "flesh-eating (animals)," neuter plural of carnivorus (see carnivorous). Applied as the scientific name of a large order of flesh-eating mammals by French naturalist Georges Léopole Chrétien Frédéric Dagobert, Baron Cuvier (1769-1832).
Cetacea (n.): order of marine mammals containing whales, 1830, Modern Latin, from Latin cetus "any large sea creature" (whales, seals, dolphins), from Greek ketos "a whale, a sea monster," which is of unknown origin, + -acea. Hence cetology "the study of whales," first attested 1851 in "Moby Dick."
cetacean (n.): 1836, from Cetacea, name of the order of marine mammals, + -an. As an adjective from 1839.
clitoris (n.): "erectile organ of female mammals," 1610s, coined in Modern Latin from Late Greek kleitoris, a diminutive, but the exact sense intended by the coiners is uncertain. Perhaps from Greek kleiein "to sheathe," also "to shut," in reference to its being covered by the labia minora. The related Greek noun form kleis has a second meaning of "a key, a latch or hook (to close a door);" see close (v.), and compare slot (n.2).

Alternatively, perhaps related to Greek kleitys, a variant of klitys "side of a hill," itself related to klinein "to slope," from the same root as climax (see lean (v.)), and with a sense of "little hill." Some ancient medical sources give a supposed Greek verb kleitoriazein "to touch or titillate lasciviously, to tickle" (compare German slang der Kitzler "clitoris," literally "the tickler"), but the verb is likely from the anatomy in this case.

The anatomist Mateo Renaldo Colombo (1516-1559), professor at Padua, claimed to have discovered it ("De re anatomica," 1559, p. 243). He called it amor Veneris, vel dulcedo "the love or sweetness of Venus." It had been known earlier to women.
gopher (n.): burrowing squirrel, 1812, American English, perhaps an Englishing of Louisiana French gaufre "honeycomb, waffle," said to have been used by French settlers in reference to small mammals on analogy of the structure of their burrows, from Old French gaufre, walfre (12c.), which is from Frankish or some other Germanic source. The rodent was the nickname of people from Arkansas (1845) and later Minnesota (1872). The gopherwood tree of the Bible (used by Noah to make the ark, Gen. vi:14) is unrelated; it is from Hebrew gofer, name of a kind of wood now unidentified, perhaps meaning the cypress.
hominid (n.): 1889, "family of mammals represented by man," from Modern Latin Hominidæ the biological family name, coined 1825 from Latin homo (genitive hominis) "man" (see homunculus). As an adjective from 1915.
mammal (n.): 1826, anglicized form of Modern Latin Mammalia (1773), coined 1758 by Linnaeus for the class of mammals, from neuter plural of Late Latin mammalis "of the breast," from Latin mamma "breast," perhaps cognate with mamma.
meerkat (n.): late 15c., "monkey," from Dutch meerkat "monkey" (related to Old High German mericazza), apparently from meer "lake" + kat "cat." But compare Hindi markat, Sanskrit markata "ape," which might serve as a source of a Teutonic folk-etymology, even though the word was in Germanic before any known direct contact with India. First applied to the small South African mammals in 1801.
pinniped (n.): 1842, from Modern Latin Pinnipedia, suborder of aquatic carnivorous mammals (seals and walruses), literally "having feet as fins," from Latin pinna in secondary sense "fin" (see pin (n.)) + pes, genitive pedis "foot," from PIE root *ped- (1) "a foot" (see foot (n.)).
placenta (n.): 1670s of plants, 1690s of mammals, from Modern Latin placenta uterina "uterine cake" (so called 16c. by Italian anatomist Realdo Colombo), from Latin placenta "a cake, flat cake," from Greek plakoenta, accusative of plakoeis "flat," related to plax (genitive plakos) "level surface, anything flat," from PIE *plak- (1) "to be flat" (cognates: Greek plakoeis "flat," Lettish plakt "to become flat," Old Norse flaga "layer of earth," Norwegian flag "open sea," Old English floh "piece of stone, fragment," Old High German fluoh "cliff"), extended form of root *pele- (2) "flat, to spread" (see plane (n.1)). So called from the shape.
primate (n.): "high bishop," c. 1200, from Old French primat and directly from Medieval Latin primatem (nominative primas) "church primate," noun use of Late Latin adjective primas "of the first rank, chief, principal," from primus "first" (see prime (adj.)).

Meaning "animal of the biological order including monkeys and humans" is attested from 1876, from Modern Latin Primates (Linnæus), from plural of Latin primas; so called from supposedly being the "highest" order of mammals (originally also including bats).
ungulate (adj.): "hoofed," 1802, from Late Latin ungulatus "hoofed," from ungula "hoof, claw, talon," diminutive (in form but not sense) of unguis "nail" (see ungual). Ungulata, the order of hoofed mammals, is recorded from 1839.
warm (adj.): Old English wearm "warm," from Proto-Germanic *warmaz (cognates: Old Saxon, Old Frisian, Middle Dutch, Old High German, German warm, Old Norse varmr, Gothic warmjan "to warm"), of uncertain origin. On one guess it is from PIE *gwher- (cognates: Sanskrit gharmah "heat;" Old Persian Garmapada-, name of the fourth month, corresponding to June/July, from garma- "heat;" Armenian jerm "warm;" Greek thermos "warm;" Latin formus "warm," fornax "oven;" Old Irish fogeir "heated;" Hittite war- "to burn"). On another guess it is connected to the source of Old Church Slavonic goriti "to burn," varŭ "heat," variti "to cook, boil;" and Lithuanian vérdu "to seethe."

The use of distinct words, based on degree of heat, for warm and hot is general in Balto-Slavic and Germanic, but in other languages one word often covers both (Greek thermos; Latin calidus, French chaud, Spanish caliente). In reference to feelings, etc., attested from late 15c. Of colors from 1764. Sense in guessing games first recorded 1860, from earlier hunting use in reference to scent or trail (1713). Warm-blooded in reference to mammals is recorded from 1793. Warm-hearted first recorded c. 1500.
coracoid: "A short projection from the shoulder blade in mammals, to which part of the biceps is attached", Mid 18th century: from modern Latin coracoides, from Greek korakoeidēs 'raven-like', from korax 'raven' (because of the resemblance to a raven's beak).
Chiroptera: "An order of mammals that comprises the bats", Modern Latin (plural), from chiro- 'hand' + Greek pteron 'wing'.
pinna: "The external part of the ear in humans and other mammals; the auricle", Late 18th century: modern Latin, from a variant of Latin penna 'feather, wing, fin'.
Oreodon: "A former genus (now included in the genus Merycoidodon) of extinct pig-sized ruminant mammals of the family Oreodontidae, having four toes on each foot and selenodont teeth, the remains of which are found in Middle Tertiary rocks in the western United States; (also) an animal of this genus. Later chiefly in Oreodon beds: strata containing fossils of these animals", Mid 19th cent.; earliest use found in Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. From scientific Latin Oreodon from Hellenistic Greek ὀρεο- + ancient Greek -όδον.
Marsupialia: "With plural concord. An order of mammals comprising forms which lack a complete placenta and give birth to very immature young which complete their development while attached to the mother's mammae, typically located in a protective abdominal pouch", Mid 19th cent.; earliest use found in Henry McMurtrie (1793–1865). From scientific Latin Marsupialia from post-classical Latin marsupialis + -a.
Ruminantia: "With plural concord. A division of hoofed mammals that comprises the ruminants, now regarded as a suborder of Artiodactyla that excludes the camel family", Early 19th cent.; earliest use found in William Lawrence (1783–1867), surgeon. From scientific Latin Ruminantia, group name, specific use of classical Latin rūminantia, neuter plural of the present participle of rūminārī or rūmināre ruminate.
acromion: "A bony process forming the lateral or distal end of the spine of the scapula, with which (in humans and certain other mammals) the clavicle articulates", Late 16th cent.; earliest use found in John Banister (1532/3–?1610), surgeon. From post-classical Latin acromion and its etymon ancient Greek ἀκρώμιον (Hippocrates) from ἄκρο- + ὦμος shoulder + -ιον, suffix forming nouns.
admaxillary: "Situated close to or connected with the maxilla; (in early use) specifically designating accessory salivary glands associated with the parotid and submaxillary glands in certain mammals. Now rare", Late 19th cent. From ad- + maxillary. Compare earlier submaxillary, intermaxillary, and premaxillary.
hippuric acid: "A compound formed in metabolism and present in the urine of herbivores and other mammals", Mid 19th century: hippuric from Greek hippos 'horse' + ouron 'urine' + -ic.
Helicobacter: "A genus of Gram-negative, microaerophilic bacteria with helical, curved, or straight cells, isolated chiefly from the digestive tract of mammals; (also helicobacter) a bacterium of this genus, especially Helicobacter pylori, which causes chronic gastritis and peptic ulcer disease in humans", 1980s. From scientific Latin Helicobacter, genus name from ancient Greek ἑλικο- + -bacter.
reniculus: " Anatomy . Each of the separate lobes or lobules of which the kidneys in some mammals and in the human fetus and neonate are composed", Early 19th cent.; earliest use found in William Kirby (1759–1850), entomologist and naturalist. From post-classical Latin reniculus from reni- + classical Latin -culus.
allantois: "The fetal membrane lying below the chorion in many vertebrates, formed as an outgrowth of the embryo’s gut. In birds and reptiles it grows to surround the embryo; in eutherian mammals it forms part of the placenta", Mid 17th century: modern Latin, based on Greek allantoeidēs 'sausage-shaped'.
Artiodactyla: "An order of mammals that comprises the even-toed ungulates", Modern Latin (plural), from Greek artios 'even' + daktulos 'finger, toe'.
Actinomyces: "A genus of Gram-positive, facultatively anaerobic bacteria with rod-shaped and branching filamentous forms, which form part of the normal mucosal flora in mammals but may cause opportunistic infections. Also (in form actinomyces): a bacterium of this genus (also called ray fungus)", Late 19th cent. From scientific Latin Actinomyces, genus name from classical Latin actīno- + scientific Latin myces.
nuchal ligament: "A large fibroelastic ligament extending from the cervical vertebrae to the occiput in many mammals, serving as a support for the head; also called ligamentum nuchae", Mid 19th cent.; earliest use found in Richard Owen (1804–1892), comparative anatomist and palaeontologist.
Proboscidea: "An order of large mammals that comprises the elephants and their extinct relatives. They are distinguished by the possession of a trunk and tusks", Modern Latin (plural), from proboscis.
alphavirus: "Any member of the genus Alphavirus of antigenically related togaviruses that infect a wide range of mammals, birds, and other vertebrates, are transmitted by mosquitoes (or, rarely, other arthropods), and typically cause either a syndrome of fever, rash, and arthralgia (Old World alphaviruses) or a potentially fatal encephalitis (New World alphaviruses, or equine encephalitis viruses). Also (in form Alphavirus): the genus itself", 1970s. From alpha + virus; compare earlier name Arbovirus group A.
Perissodactyla: "An order of mammals that comprises the odd-toed ungulates", Modern Latin (plural), from Greek perissos 'uneven' + daktulos 'finger, toe'.
Moraxella: "A genus of Gram-negative bacteria (family Neisseriaceae) inhabiting the mucous membranes of mammals and causing infections of the middle ear, respiratory tract, and conjunctiva; specifically a subgenus of this genus comprising rod-shaped bacteria occurring in pairs or chains; (also moraxella) a bacterium of this genus", 1940s. From scientific Latin Moraxella from the name of Victor Morax, Swiss ophthalmologist, who discovered the bacteria + classical Latin -ella).
calicivirus: "Any of a group (formerly the genus Calicivirus, now the family Caliciviridae) of non-enveloped, single-stranded RNA viruses which have a capsid with distinctive cup-like depressions, and which are pathogens of humans and various other mammals. Also (in form Calicivirus): the (former) genus itself", 1970s. From classical Latin calic-, calix cup + -i- + virus.
Pachydermata: "Originally, in Cuvier's system of classification: an order of mammals comprising elephants and related animals, and hoofed quadrupeds that do not chew the cud such as rhinoceroses, hippopotamuses, pigs, horses, etc. (now historical ). In later use (treated as plural, in form pachydermata): animals belonging to this order; pachyderms", Early 19th century; earliest use found in William Buckland (1784–1856), geologist and dean of Westminster. From scientific Latin Pachydermata, order name from ancient Greek παχύδερμος thick-skinned (Aristotle), after French pachyderme.