英文字彙與字源學 Week 17

英文字彙與字源學 Week 17

tact	touch	tact (n.) 1650s, "sense of touch or feeling" (with an isolated instance, tacþe from c. 1200), from Latin tactus "a touch, handling, sense of touch," from root of tangere "to touch" (see tangent (adj.)). Meaning "sense of discernment in action or conduct, diplomacy, fine intuitive mental perception" first recorded 1804, from development in French cognate tact. The Latin figurative sense was "influence, effect."
tempor	time	temporality (n.)  late 14c., "temporal power," from Late Latin temporalitas, from temporalis "of a time, but for a time" (see temporal).
tract	pull, draw out	tract (n.2) "little book, treatise" mid-12c., probably a shortened form of Latin tractatus "a handling, treatise, treatment," from tractare "to handle" (see treat (v.)).Related: Tractarian.
vert	turn	vert (v.)  "to turn in some direction," 1570s, from Latin vertere "to turn" from PIE root *wer- (3) "to turn, bend" (see versus). As a noun meaning "one who has left the Church of England" from 1864, short for convert (v.). ambivert (n.) "person exhibiting features of an extrovert and an introvert," coined by Kimball Young in "Source Book for Social Psychology" (1927), from ambi- "about, around" + -vert (as in earlier introvert), which is ultimately from Latin vertere "to turn," from PIE root *wer- (3) "to turn, bend" (see versus). Related: Ambiversion.
voc	voice, call	vocal (adj.) late 14c., "spoken, oral," from Old French vocal (13c.), from Latin vocalis "sounding, sonorous, speaking," as a noun, "a vowel," from vox (genitive vocis) "voice" (see voice (n.)). In reference to music (as opposed to instrumental), first recorded 1580s; meaning "outspoken" first attested 1871. Vocal cords is from 1872; see cord.

英文字彙與字源學 Week 16

port	carry	port (v.) "to carry," from Middle French porter, from Latin portare "to carry" (see port (n.1)). Related: Ported; porting. porter (n.1) "person who carries," late 14c. (mid-13c. as a surname), from Anglo-French portour, Old French porteor "porter, bearer; reporter" (12c.), from Late Latin portatorem (nominative portator) "carrier, one who carries," from past participle stem of Latin portare "to carry" (see port (n.1)).
scend	climb	ascend (v.) late 14c., from Latin ascendere "to climb up, mount, ascend," figuratively "to rise, reach," from ad- "to" (see ad-) + scandere "to climb" (see scan (v.)). Also in 15c. used with a sense "to mount (a female) for copulation." Related: Ascended; ascending. An Old English word for it was stigan.
scrib	write	scribe (v.) c. 1200, "professional interpreter of the Jewish Law" (late 11c. as a surname), from Church Latin scriba "teacher of Jewish law," used in Vulgate to render Greek grammateus (corresponding to Hebrew sopher "writer, scholar"), special use of Latin scriba "keeper of accounts, secretary, writer," from past participle stem of scribere "to write;" see script (n.). Sense "one who writes, official or public writer" in English is from late 14c.
script	written language	script (v.) "adapt (a work) for broadcasting or film," 1935, from script (n.). Related: Scripted; scripting.

英文字彙與字源學 Week 15

英文字彙與字源學 Week 15

nom	name	nom (n.) French, "name" (9c.), from Latin nomen (see name (n.)). Used in various phrases, such as nom de guerre (1670s), name used by a person engaged in some action, literally "war name;" nom de plume (1823), literally "pen name;" nom de théâtre (1874) "stage name." "Nom de plume is open to the criticism that it is ridiculous for English writers to use a French phrase that does not come from France" [Fowler].
pathy	feeling, suffering	-pathy word-forming element meaning "feeling, suffering, emotion; disorder, disease," from Latin -pathia, from Greek -patheia "act of suffering, feeling" (see pathos). Meaning "system of treatment of disease" is abstracted from homeopathy (q.v.). neuropathy (n.) 1827, from neuro- + -pathy. Related: Neuropath; neuropathic; neuropathist.
patri	father	patri- word-forming element used to make terms describing kinship of the father or the paternal line, from Latin patri-, comb. form of pater (see father (n.)).
ped	foot	pedo- before vowels ped-, word-forming element meaning "boy, child," from Greek pedo-, comb. form of pais "boy, child," especially a son, from PIE root *peu- "small, little, few, young" (see few (adj.)). The British form paed- is better because it avoids confusion with ped- pedestrian (n.) "walker," 1793, from pedestrian (adj.).

英文字彙與字源學 Week 14

英文字彙與字源學 Week 14

audi	to hear / to listen	Audio "sound," especially recorded or transmitted, 1934, abstracted from prefix audio- (in audio-frequency, 1919, etc.), from Latin audire "hear" (see audience) relating to hearing or sound audiotape audit (v.)  mid-15c., from audit (n.). Related: Audited; auditing. auditor
vis	to see	vision (n.) The meaning "sense of sight" is first recorded late 15c. Meaning "statesman-like foresight, political sagacity" is attested from 1926
leg	law	legal (adj.) Sense of "permitted by law" is from 1640s. Related: Legally. Not etymologically related to law (n.), q.v. The usual Old French form was leial, loial (see leal, loyal). Legal tender "money which the creditor is bound by law to accept" is from 1740 (see tender (n.2)). A legal holiday (1867) is one established by statute or proclamation and during which government business is usually suspended.
viv	to live	vivid (adj.) 1630s, from French vivide and perhaps also directly from Latin vividus "spirited, animated, lively, full of life," from vivus "alive," from PIE *gweie- (1) "to live" (see bio-). Extension to colors is from 1660s. Sense of "strong, distinct" (as of memories, etc.) is from 1680s; that of "very active or intense" (as of imagination, interest, etc.) is from 1853. Related: Vividly; vividness.
cap	to catch / to hold / to receive	capture (v.) 1795, from capture (n.); in chess, checkers, etc., 1820. Related: Captured; capturing. Earlier verb in this sense was captive (early 15c.).

英文字彙與字源學 Week 13

英文字彙與字源學 Week 13

manu	hand	manufacture (n.) 1560s, "something made by hand," from Middle French manufacture, from Medieval Latin *manufactura (source of Italian manifattura, Spanish manufactura), from Latin manu, ablative of manus "hand" (see manual (adj.)) + factura "a working," from past participle stem of facere "to perform" (see factitious). Sense of "process of manufacturing" first recorded c. 1600. Related: Manufactures.
mater	mother, home	mater- comb. form meaning "mother," from Latin mater (see mother (n.)). maternal (adj.) late 15c., from Old French maternel (14c.), from Vulgar Latin *maternalis, from Latin maternus "maternal, of a mother," from mater "mother" (see mother (n.1)).
medi	middle	median (adj.) 1590s, from Middle French médian (15c.) and directly from Latin medianus "of the middle," from medius "in the middle" (see medial (adj.)). Originally anatomical, of veins, arteries, nerves. Median strip "strip between lanes of traffic" is from 1954.
multi	many	multi- before vowels mult-, word-forming element meaning "many, many times, much," from comb. form of Latin multus "much, many," from PIE *ml-to-, from root *mel- (4) "strong, great, numerous" (source also of Latin melior "better," Greek mala "very, very much"). Many words that use it (multinational, etc.) are 20c. coinages.

英文字彙與字源學 Week 12

英文字彙與字源學 Week 12

geo	earth	geo- word-forming element meaning "earth, the Earth," ultimately from Greek geo-, comb. form of Attic and Ionic ge "the earth, land, a land or country" (see Gaia). geochronology (n.) also geo-chronology, 1890, probably based on earlier French and German geo-chronologie, from geo- + chronology.
gram	write	gram (n.) also gramme, metric unit of weight, 1797, from French gramme (18c.), from Late Latin gramma "small weight," from Greek gramma "small weight," a special use of the classical word meaning "a letter of the alphabet" (see -gram). Adopted into English about two years before it was established in France as a unit in the metric system by law of 19 frimaire, year VIII (1799). "There seems to be no possible objection to adopting the more convenient shorter form, except that the -me records the unimportant fact that the word came to us through French" [Fowler].
homo	same	homosexual (n.) "homosexual person," by 1895, from homosexual (adj.). In technical use, either male or female; but in non-technical use almost always male. Slang shortened form homo attested by 1929.
log	speech, study of	log (v.1) "to fell trees for logs," 1717; earlier "to strip a tree" to make it a log (1690s), from log (n.1). Related: Logged; logging (n.1).

英文字彙與字源學 Week 11

英文字彙與字源學 Week 11

dict	two	diction (n.) 1540s, "a word;" 1580s, "expression of ideas in words," from Late Latin dictionem (nominative dictio) "a saying, expression, word," noun of action from dic-, past participle stem of Latin dicere "speak, tell, say" (source of French dire "to say"), related to dicare "proclaim, dedicate," from PIE root *deik- "to point out" (source also of Sanskrit dic- "point out, show," Greek deiknynai "to show, to prove," Latin digitus "finger," Old High German zeigon, German zeigen "to show," Old English teon "to accuse," tæcan "to teach").
duc	carry, lead	ducal (adj.) late 15c., from Middle French ducal (15c.), from Late Latin ducalis, from Latin dux (genitive ducis); see duke (n.).
fac	do, make	fact (n.) 1530s, "action, anything done," especially "evil deed," from Latin factum "an event, occurrence, deed, achievement," in Medieval Latin also "state, condition, circumstance," literally "thing done" (source also ofi Old French fait, Spanish hecho, Italian fatto), noun use of neuter of factus, past participle of facere "to do" (see factitious). Main modern sense of "thing known to be true" is from 1630s, from notion of "something that has actually occurred."
form	shape	-form word-forming element meaning "-like, -shaped, in the form of," from French -forme and directly from Latin -formis "-like, shaped," from forma "form" (see form (n.)). Properly preceded by an -i-. form (v.)  c. 1300, formen, fourmen, "create, give life to, give shape or structure to; make, build, construct, devise," from Old French fourmer "formulate, express; draft, create, shape, mold" (12c.) and directly from Latin formare "to shape, fashion, build," also figurative, from forma "form, contour, figure, shape" (see form (n.)). From late 14c. as "go to make up, be a constituent part of;" intransitive sense "take form, come into form" is from 1722. Related: Formed; forming.
fort	strong	fort (n.) mid-15c., "fortified place, stronghold," from Old French fort "fort, fortress; strong man," noun use of adjective meaning "strong, stout, sturdy; hard, severe, difficult; hard to understand; dreadful, terrible; fortified" (10c.), from Latin fortis "strong, mighty; firm, steadfast; brave, spirited," from Old Latin forctus, possibly from PIE root *bhergh- (2) "high, elevated," with derivatives referring to hills and hill-forts (see barrow (n.2)). Or possibly from *dher- (2) "to hold firmly, support." Figurative use of hold the fort attested from 1590s.