quword 趣词
Word Origins Dictionary
- anonymous[anonymous 词源字典]
- anonymous: see name
[anonymous etymology, anonymous origin, 英语词源] - cannon
- cannon: English has two different words cannon, neither of which can for certain be connected with canon. The earlier, ‘large gun’ [16], comes via French canon from Italian cannone ‘large tube’, which was a derivative of canna ‘tube, pipe’, from Latin canna (source of English cane). Cannon as in ‘cannon off something’ [19] is originally a billiards term, and was an alteration (by association with cannon the gun) of an earlier carom (the form still used in American English).
This came from Spanish carombola, a kind of fruit fancifully held to resemble a billiard ball, whose ultimate source was probably an unrecorded *karambal in the Marathi language of south central India.
=> cane; carom - canon
- canon: There are today two distinct words canon in English, although ultimately they are related. The older, ‘(ecclesiastical) rule’ [OE], comes via Latin canōn from Greek kanón ‘rule’, which some have speculated may be related to Greek kánnā ‘reed’, source of English cane (the semantic link is said to be ‘reed’ – ‘rod’ – ‘measuring rod’ – ‘rule’).
The derived adjective, kanonikós, passed into ecclesiastical Latin as canonicus, which was used as a noun, ‘clergyman’; in Old French this became canonie or chanonie, and as it crossed into English its last syllable dropped off (owing to the influence of canon ‘rule’). The underlying sense of canon ‘clergyman’ [13] is thus ‘one living according to the rules of religious life’.
- nonchalant
- nonchalant: [18] To be nonchalant is etymologically ‘not to get hot under the collar’. The word comes from French nonchalant, an adjective formed with the prefix non- ‘not’ from the present participle of the verb chaloir ‘be concerned’. This goes back ultimately to Latin calēre ‘be hot’ (a relative of English calorie and cauldron).
=> calorie, cauldron, lukewarm - none
- none: [OE] Etymologically, none is simply ‘not one’. It was formed in the Old English period from the negative particle ne and ān, ancestor of modern English one. It was originally both a pronoun and an adjective, but in the latter role it has been replaced by its reduced form no.
=> one - nonpareil
- nonpareil: see pair
- nonplus
- nonplus: see plural
- pennon
- pennon: see pen
- phenomenon
- phenomenon: see phantom
- synonym
- synonym: see name
- tenon
- tenon: see tenant
- xenon
- xenon: [19] Xenon is etymologically the ‘strange’ gas. It was named in 1898 by its discoverer, the British chemist Sir William Ramsay. He adapted the term from the neuter form of Greek xénos ‘strange’, which may be a distant relative of English guest, hospital, host, etc, and is also the source of English xenophobia ‘fear of foreigners’ [19].
=> guest, hospital, host, xenophobia - Agamemnon
- king of Mycenae, leader of the Greeks in the Trojan War, his name perhaps represents Greek Aga-medmon, literally "ruling mightily," from agan "very much" + medon "ruler" (see meditation).
- Algernon
- masc. proper name, literally "with mustaches," from Old French als gernons, from a les "to the, with the" + gernon, variant of grenon "mustache," from Vulgar Latin *granonem, from a Germanic source (compare Old English granu "mustache").
- anon (adv.)
- late Old English anon, earlier on an, literally "into one," thus "continuously; straightway (in one course), at once;" see one. By gradual misuse, "soon, in a little while" (1520s). A one-word etymological lesson in the enduring power of procrastination.
- anonym (n.)
- 1812, "nameless person," from French anonyme, from Latin anonymus, from Greek anonymos "without a name" (see anonymous). Meaning "fictitious name" is recorded from 1866.
- anonymity (n.)
- 1820; see anonym + -ity. In same sense anonymousness is recorded from 1802.
- anonymous (adj.)
- c. 1600, from Late Latin anonymus, from Greek anonymos "without a name," from an- "without" (see an- (1)) + onyma, Æolic dialectal form of onoma "name" (see name (n.)).
- anonymously (adv.)
- 1728, from anonymous + -ly (2).
- cannon (n.)
- c. 1400, "tube for projectiles," from Anglo-French canon, Old French canon (14c.), from Italian cannone "large tube, barrel," augmentative of Latin canna "reed, tube" (see cane (n.)). Meaning "large ordnance piece," the main modern sense, is from 1520s. Spelling not differentiated from canon till c. 1800. Cannon fodder (1891) translates German kanonenfutter (compare Shakespeare's food for powder in "I Hen. IV").
- cannon-ball (n.)
- also cannon ball, 1660s, from cannon (n.) + ball (n.1). As a type of dive, from 1905.
- cannon-shot (n.)
- "distance a cannon will throw a ball," 1570s, from cannon (n.) + shot (n.).
- cannonade (n.)
- "discharge of artillery," 1650s, from cannon + -ade. As a verb, from 1660s. Compare French canonnade (16c.), Italian cannonata. Related: Cannonaded; cannonading.
- canon (n.1)
- "church law," Old English canon, from Old French canon or directly from Late Latin canon "Church law," in classical Latin, "measuring line, rule," from Greek kanon "any straight rod or bar; rule; standard of excellence," perhaps from kanna "reed" (see cane (n.)). Taken in ecclesiastical sense for "decree of the Church." General sense of "standard of judging" is from c. 1600. Harold Bloom writes that "The secular canon, with the word meaning a catalog of approved authors, does not actually begin until the middle of the eighteenth century ...." ["The Western Canon," 1994]. Related: Canonicity.
- canon (n.2)
- "clergyman," c. 1200, from Anglo-French canun, from Old North French canonie (Modern French chanoine), from Church Latin canonicus "clergyman living under a rule," noun use of Latin adjective canonicus "according to rule" (in ecclesiastical use, "pertaining to the canon"), from Greek kanonikos, from kanon "rule" (see canon (n.1)).
- canonical (adj.)
- early 15c., "according to ecclesiastical law," from Medieval Latin canonicalis, from Late Latin canonicus "according to rule," in Church Latin, "pertaining to the canon" (see canon (n.1)). Earlier was canonial (early 13c.).
- canonization (n.)
- late 14c., from Medieval Latin canonizationem (nominative canonizatio), noun of action from past participle stem of canonizare (see canonize).
- canonize (v.)
- late 14c., "to place in the canon or calendar of saints," from Old French cannonisier and directly from Medieval Latin canonizare, from Late Latin canon "church rule" (see canon (n.1)). Related: Canonized; cannonizing.
- champignon (n.)
- "mushroom," 1570s, from Middle French champignon (14c.), with change of suffix, from Old French champegnuel, from Vulgar Latin *campaniolus "that which grows in the field," from Late Latin campaneus "pertaining to the fields," from campania "level country" (see campaign (n.)).
- chignon (n.)
- "knot or coil of hair worn at the back of the neck," from French chignon "nape of the neck," from Old French chaignon "iron collar, shackles, noose" (12c.), from Vulgar Latin *catenionem (nominative *catenio), from Latin catena "chain, fetter, restraint" (see chain (n.)). Popular 1780s, 1870s, 1940s. Form influenced in French by tignon "coil of hair."
- Cro Magnon
- 1869, from the name of a hill in Dordogne department of France, where in a cave prehistoric human remains were found in 1868.
- Dom Perignon
- trademark name, 1954 (in use from 1936), from monk of that name (1638-1715), blind cellarmaster of the monastery of Hautvilliers near Epernay, France, who was said to have discovered the advantage of corked bottles in fermentation. Dom was a title of authority, from Latin dominus "lord, master" (see domain).
- epiphenomenon (n.)
- "secondary symptom," 1706, from epi- + phenomenon. Plural is epiphenomena. Related: Epiphenomenal.
- hapax legomenon (n.)
- (plural legomena), "word occurring only once," Greek, literally "once said," from hapax "once only" + legomenon, neuter passive present participle of legein "to say."
- koinonia (n.)
- 1865, Greek, literally "communion, fellowship," from koinos "common, ordinary" (see coeno-).
- Lebanon
- name of a nation in western Asia, from Semitic root l-b-n "white," probably in reference to snow-capped peaks, or possibly to chalk or limestone cliffs. The Greek name of the island Lemnos is of Phoenician origin and from the same root.
- Mennonite (n.)
- member of an Anabaptist sect, 1560s, from name of Menno Simons (1492-1559), founder of the sect in Friesland, + -ite (1). As an adjective by 1727. Alternative form Mennonist (n.) attested from 1640s.
- mignon (adj.)
- "delicately formed," 1550s, French, literally "delicate, charming, pretty;" see minion. As a noun, "pretty child," from 1827.
- mononuclear (adj.)
- 1886; see mono- + nuclear.
- mononucleosis (n.)
- 1920, coined from mononuclear + Modern Latin -osis "abnormal condition."
- no-nonsense (adj.)
- "not tolerating foolishness, businesslike," 1928," from phrase to stand no nonsense, which is attested from 1821, originally in sporting slang.
- non compos mentis
- Latin, literally "not master of one's mind."
- non sequitur
- Latin, literally "it does not follow."
- non-
- prefix meaning "not, lack of," or "sham," 14c., from Anglo-French noun-, from Old French non-, from Latin non "not, by no means, not at all, not a," from Old Latin noenum "not one" (*ne oinom, from PIE *ne "not" + *oi-no-; see one). In some cases perhaps from Middle English non "not" (adj.), from Old English nan (see not).
- non-aggression (n.)
- also nonaggression, 1759, "absence of warlike intentions among nations," from non- + aggression.
- non-aligned (adj.)
- also nonaligned, 1960 in geopolitical sense, from non- + past participle of align. Non-alignment (also nonalignment) in this sense is attested from 1934.
- non-com
- 1747, short for non-commissioned officer.
- non-combatant (n.)
- also noncombatant, 1809, from non- + combatant. A word from the Napoleonic wars.
- non-combustible (adj.)
- also noncombustible, 1804, from non- + combustible.
- non-committal (adj.)
- also noncommittal, 1829, "characterized by refusal to commit oneself," from non- + committal (see commit).