late 14c., from amidde (c. 1200), from Old English on middan "in the middle," from dative singular of midde "mid, middle" (see middle); the phrase evidently was felt as "in (the) middle" and thus followed by a genitive case, and if this had endured we would follow it today with of. (See amidst for further evolution along this line).
The same applies to equivalents in Latin (in medio) and Greek (en meso), both originally adjective phrases which evolved to take the genitive case. But in later Old English on middan also was treated as a preposition and followed by dative. Used in compounds from early 13c. (such as amidships, attested from 1690s and retaining the genitive, as the compounds usually did in early Middle English, suggesting this one is considerably older than the written record of it.)
双语例句
1. They announced, amid much ballyhoo, that they had made a breakthrough.
在一通大吹大擂中，他们宣布自己取得了突破。
来自柯林斯例句
2. Dr Amid was assisted by a young Asian nurse.
阿米德医生的助手是一位年轻的亚裔护士。
来自柯林斯例句
3. Amid the trees the sea mist was dripping.
林子里弥漫着湿漉漉的海雾。
来自柯林斯例句
4. Children were changing classrooms amid laughter and shouts.
