英语词源字典 - 在线词源网站

certain (adj.)[certain 词源字典]: c. 1300, "determined, fixed," from Old French certain "reliable, sure, assured" (12c.), from Vulgar Latin *certanus, from Latin certus "sure, fixed, settled, determined" (also source of Italian certo, Spanish cierto), originally a variant past participle of cernere "to distinguish, decide," literally "to sift, separate" (see crisis).

Of persons, "full of confidence in one's knowledge or judgment," from mid-14c. Euphemistic use (of a certain age, etc.) attested from mid-18c. Certainer, certainest were common to c. 1750, but have fallen from proper use for some reason. Expression for certain "assuredly" is attested by early 14c.[certain etymology, certain origin, 英语词源]
certainly (adv.): c. 1300, in all main modern senses, from certain + -ly (2).
certainty (n.): c. 1300, certeynte, "surety, pledge," from Anglo-French certeinté (late 13c.), Old French certainete "certainty," from Latin or Vulgar Latin *certanitatem (source of Old Spanish certanedad); see certain. Meaning "that which is certain" is attested from early 14c.; meaning "quality of being certain" is from mid-14c.
certes (adv.): mid-13c., from Old French certes, from Vulgar Latin certas, from Latin certe, adverb from certus (see certain).
certifiable (adj.): 1846, from certify + -able. Meaning "so deranged as to be certifiably insane" is recorded from 1912.
certificate (n.): early 15c., "action of certifying," from French certificat, from Medieval Latin certificatum "thing certified," noun use of neuter past participle of certificare (see certify). Of documents, from mid-15c., especially a document which attests to someone's authorization to practice or do something (1540s).
certificated (adj.): 1610s, past participle adjective from obsolete certificate (v.), from Medieval Latin certificatus, past participle of certificare (see certify).
certification (n.): early 15c., "notification;" mid-15c., "demonstration, proof," from Medieval Latin certificationem (nominative certificatio), noun of action from past participle stem of Late Latin certificare (see certify). Meaning "act of providing with a legal certificate" is from 1881.
certify (v.): mid-14c., "to declare the truth of," also "to vouch for or confirm" (an official record, etc.), from Old French certefiier "make certain, witness the truth of" (12c.), from Late Latin certificare "to certify, to make certain," from Latin certus (see certain) + root of facere "to make, do" (see factitious). Also used in Middle English in broader senses of "inform, give notice; instruct, to direct; to designate." Related: Certified; certifying. Certified public accountant attested from 1896.
certiorari: legal Latin, "to be certified, to be informed or shown," from a word figuring in the opening phrase of such writs from superior to inferior courts seeking the records of a case. Passive present infinitive of certorare "to certify, inform," from certior, comp. of certus "sure" (see certain).
certitude (n.): early 15c., from Middle French certitude "certainty" (16c.), from Late Latin certitudinem (nominative certitudo) "that which is certain," from Latin certus "sure, certain" (see certain).
cerulean (adj.): 1660s, with -an + Latin caeruleus "blue, dark blue, blue-green," perhaps dissimilated from caelulum, diminutive of caelum "heaven, sky," which is of uncertain origin (see celestial). The Latin word was applied by Roman authors to the sky, the Mediterranean, and occasionally to leaves or fields. As a noun, from 1756.
cerumen (n.): "earwax," 1741, medical Latin cerumen, coined by Swiss anatomist Gaspard Bauhin (1560-1624) from Latin cera "wax" (see cere (n.)) on model of albumen; or else from Greek keroumenos "formed of wax."
cerveza (n.): Spanish for "beer," from Latin cervisia "beer" (related to Latin cerea "a Spanish beer"), from a Celtic *kerb- (compare Gaulish curmi, Old Irish cuirm, Middle Irish coirm, Welsh cwrwf, Old Cornish coref "beer"), from Proto-Celtic *kormi-, perhaps from PIE root *krem-, also source of Latin cremare "to burn" (see cremation). "Connection with ceres (as a drink from grain) is very dubious" [Tucker].
cervical (adj.): 1680s, "of the neck," from French cervical, from Latin cervix (see cervix). Meaning "of the neck of the womb" attested by 1860. Related: Cervically.
cervix (n.): early 15c., "ligament in the neck," from Latin cervix "the neck, nape of the neck," from PIE *kerw-o-, from root *ker- (1) "horn, head" (see horn (n.)). Applied to various neck-like structures of the body, especially that of the uterus (by 1702), where it is shortened from medical Latin cervix uteri (17c.). Sometimes in medical writing 18c.-19c. cervix of the uterus to distinguish it from the neck sense.
Cesar: Spanish form of masc. proper name Caesar.
cesarean: alternative spelling of caesarian (see also æ).
cesarian: alternative spelling of caesarian.
cesium (n.): also caesium, rare alkaline metal, 1861, coined by Bunsen and Kirchhoff in 1860 in Modern Latin (caesium), from Latin caesius "blue-gray" (especially of eyes), in reference to the two prominent blue lines in its spectrum, by which it was first identified.