quword 趣词
Word Origins Dictionary
- geography[geography 词源字典]
- geography: [16] All the English ‘geo-’ words (geography, geology [18], geometry [14], etc) come ultimately from Greek gē ‘earth’, a word probably of pre-Indo-European origin, whose Homeric form gaia was used as the name of the Greek goddess of the earth. Geography denotes literally the ‘describing of the earth’; geometry the ‘measuring of the earth’ (from its early application to the measuring of land and surveying).
=> geology, geometry[geography etymology, geography origin, 英语词源] - baseline (n.)
- also base-line, 1750, originally in surveying, from base (n.) + line (n.). Baseball diamond sense is from 1867. Baseline estimate in use by 1983.
- geodesic (adj.)
- 1809, from geodesy "surveying" + -ic; earlier was geodesical (1818). Alternative geodetic, from the classical stem, is from 1819; geodetical is from c. 1600. Geodesic dome, one built according to geodesic principles, is attested from 1953.
- geodesy (n.)
- 1560s, "the art of land surveying," from Modern Latin geodaesia, from Greek geodaisia "division of the earth;" ultimately from ge "earth" (see Gaia) + stem of daiein "to divide," from PIE *dai-, extended form of root *da- "to divide." In modern use it refers to mathematical calculations derived from measuring large portions of the earth's surface. In this sense, in reference to structures, from 1936.
- ordnance (n.)
- "cannon, artillery," 1540s, a clipped form of ordinance (q.v.) which was attested from late 14c. in the sense of "military materials, provisions of war;" a sense now obsolete but which led to those of "engines for discharging missiles" (early 15c.) and "branch of the military concerned with stores and materials" (late 15c.). The shorter word was established in these distinct senses by 17c. Ordnance survey (1833), official survey of Great Britain and Ireland, was undertaken by the government under the direction of the Master-General of the Ordnance (the natural choice, gunners being thoroughly trained in surveying ranges and distances).
- quadrant (n.)
- late 14c., "a quarter of a day, six hours," from Middle French quadrant, from Latin quadrantem (nominative quadrans) "fourth part," also the name of a coin worth a quarter of an as, noun use of present participle of quadrare "to make square; put in order, arrange, complete; run parallel, be exact," figuratively "to fit, suit, be proper," related to quadrus "a square," quattuor "four" (see four). The surveying instrument is first so called c. 1400, because it forms a quarter circle. Related: Quadrantal.
- quadrat (n.)
- "a blank, low-cast type used by typographers to fill in larger spaces in printed lines," 1680s, from French quadrat "a quadrat," literally "a square," from Latin quadratrus, past participle of quadrare "to square, make square" (see quadrant). Earlier in English it meant a type of surveying instrument (c. 1400).
- reconnaissance (n.)
- 1810, from French reconnaissance "act of surveying," literally "recognition," from Old French reconoissance "recognition, acknowledgement" (see recognizance).
- resurvey (v.)
- 1590s, from re- + survey (v.). Related: Resurveyed; resurveying. As a noun from 1660s.
- station (n.)
- late 13c., "place which one normally occupies," from Old French stacion, estacion "site, location; station of the Cross; stop, standstill," from Latin stationem (nominative statio) "a standing, standing firm; a post, job, position; military post; a watch, guard, sentinel; anchorage, port" (related to stare "to stand"), from PIE *ste-ti-, suffixed form of root *sta- "to stand" (see stet).
Meaning "each of a number of holy places visited in succession by pilgrims" is from late 14c., as in Station of the Cross (1550s). Meaning "fixed uniform distance in surveying" is from 1570s. Sense of "status, rank" is from c. 1600. Meaning "military post" in English is from c. 1600. The meaning "place where people are stationed for some special purpose" (as in polling station) is first recorded 1823. Radio station is from 1912; station break, pause in broadcasting to give the local station a chance to identify itself, is from 1942.
The meaning "regular stopping place" is first recorded 1797, in reference to coach routes; applied to railroads 1830. Station-master is from 1836. Station wagon in the automobile sense is first recorded 1929, from earlier use for a horse-drawn conveyance that took passengers to and from railroad stations (1894). Station house "police station" is attested from 1836. - survey (v.)
- c. 1400, "to consider, contemplate," from Anglo-French surveier, Old French sorveoir "look (down) at, look upon, notice; guard, watch," from Medieval Latin supervidere "oversee" (see supervise). Meaning "examine the condition of" is from mid-15c. That of "to take linear measurements of a tract of ground" is recorded from 1540s. Related: Surveyed; surveying; surveyance (late 14c.).
- tachymeter (n.)
- surveying instrument, 1836, from tachy- "swift" + -meter. Related: Tachymetry.
M. GAETANO CAÏRO has invented an instrument, to which he has given the name of Tachymeter (rapid measurer). Its object is to give the area of plane surfaces bounded by any outline whatever, without the necessity of any arithmetical operation. ["Magazine of Popular Science and Journal of the Useful Arts," Volume 2, 1836]
- telemeter (n.)
- 1860, a rangefinder for surveying and artillery, from French télémètre (1852), from télé- "far" (see tele-) + mètre "meter" (see -meter). Used from 1953 for a pay-as-you-watch TV system with a coin box attached to the set. Related: Telemetry.
- theodolite (n.)
- surveying instrument, 1570s, of unknown origin (see OED for discussion). "The word has a Gr[eek] semblance, but no obvious Gr[eek] basis" [Century Dictionary].
- triangulate (v.)
- 1833, originally in surveying, from Latin triangulum "a triangle" (see triangle) + -ate (2). Related: Triangulated; triangulating. Figurative use by 1860.
- viewer (n.)
- early 15c., "civic official responsible for surveying property," agent noun from view (v.). Meaning "watcher of television" first recorded 1935, in place of earlier suggestion looker-in (1927).