quword 趣词
Word Origins Dictionary
- encumber (v.)



[encumber 词源字典] - early 14c., "burden, vex, inconvenience," from Old French encombrer "to block up, hinder, thwart," from Late Latin incombrare, from in- "in" (see in- (2)) + combrus "barricade, obstacle," probably from Latin cumulus "heap" (see cumulus). Meaning "hinder, hamper" is attested in English from late 14c. Related: Encumbered; encumbering.[encumber etymology, encumber origin, 英语词源]
- encumbrance (n.)




- c. 1300, "trouble, difficulty; ensnarement, temptation," from Old French encombrance "encumbrance, obstruction; calamity, trouble," from encombrer (see encumber). Meaning "that which encumbers, impediment, obstacle" is from late 14c. in English.
- encyclical (adj.)




- in reference to ecclesiastical letters meant for wide circulation (for example, a letter sent by a pope to all bishops), 1640s, from Late Latin encyclicus, from Latin encyclius, from Greek enkyklios "in a circle, circular" (see encyclopedia). As a noun, from 1837.
- encyclopaedia (n.)




- see encyclopedia. The Latin spelling survives as a variant because many of the most prominent ones (such as Britannica) have Latin names.
- encyclopedia (n.)




- 1530s, "general course of instruction," from Modern Latin encyclopaedia (c. 1500), thought to be a false reading by Latin authors of Greek enkyklios paideia taken as "general education," but literally "training in a circle," i.e. the "circle" of arts and sciences, the essentials of a liberal education; from enkyklios "circular," also "general" (from en "in;" see in + kyklos "circle;" see cycle (n.)) + paideia "education, child-rearing," from pais (genitive paidos) "child" (see pedo-).
Modern sense of "reference work arranged alphabetically" is from 1640s, often applied specifically to the French "Encyclopédie ou Dictionnaire raisonné des Sciences, des Arts, et des Métiers" (1751-65). Related: Encyclopedist. - encyclopedic (adj.)




- 1816, from encyclopedia + -ic.
- end (n.)




- Old English ende "end, conclusion, boundary, district, species, class," from Proto-Germanic *andja (cognates: Old Frisian enda, Old Dutch ende, Dutch einde, Old Norse endir "end;" Old High German enti "top, forehead, end," German Ende, Gothic andeis "end"), originally "the opposite side," from PIE *antjo "end, boundary," from root *ant- "opposite, in front of, before" (see ante).
Worldly wealth he cared not for, desiring onely to make both ends meet. [Thomas Fuller, "The History of the Worthies of England," 1662]
Original sense of "outermost part" is obsolete except in phrase ends of the earth. Sense of "destruction, death" was in Old English. Meaning "division or quarter of a town" was in Old English. The end "the last straw, the limit" (in a disparaging sense) is from 1929. The end-man in minstrel troupes was one of the two at the ends of the semicircle of performers, who told funny stories and cracked jokes with the middle-man. U.S. football end zone is from 1909 (end for "side of the field occupied by one team" is from 1851). The noun phrase end-run is attested from 1893 in U.S. football; extended to military tactics by 1940. End time in reference to the end of the world is from 1917. To end it all "commit suicide" is attested by 1911. Be-all and end-all is from Shakespeare ("Macbeth" I.vii.5). - end (v.)




- Old English endian "to end, finish, abolish, destroy; come to an end, die," from the source of end (n.). Related: Ended; ending.
- end-paper (n.)




- in book-binding, "blank leaves before and after the text of a book," 1818, from end (n.) + paper (n.).
- endanger (v.)




- late 15c., from en- (1) "make, put in" + danger. Related: Endangered; endangering. Endangered species recorded by 1958.
- endangerment (n.)




- 1640s (Milton), from endanger + -ment. Earlier was endangering (1580s).
- endear (v.)




- 1580s, "to enhance the value of," also "win the affection of," from en- (1) "make, put in" + dear (adj.). Meaning "to make dear," the main modern sense, is from 1640s. Related: Endeared; endearing.
- endearing (adj.)




- 1660s, present participle adjective from endear. Related: Endearingly.
- endearment (n.)




- "act of endearing," 1610s, from endear + -ment. Meaning "obligation of gratitude" is from 1620s; that of "action expressive of love" is from 1702.
- endeavor (n.)




- early 15c., "pains taken to attain an object," literally "in duty," from phrase put (oneself) in dever "make it one's duty" (a partial translation of Old French mettre en deveir "put in duty"), from Old French dever "duty," from Latin debere "to owe" (see debt). One's endeavors meaning one's "utmost effort" is from late 15c.
- endeavor (v.)




- c. 1400, from phrase put in dever (see endeavor (n.)). Related: Endeavored; endeavoring.
- endeavour




- chiefly British English spelling of endeavor (q.v.); for spelling, see -or. Related: Endeavoured; endeavoring; endeavours. The U.S. space shuttle was spelled this way because it was named for the HMS Endeavour, Capt. Cook's ship.
- ended (adj.)




- "finished, completed," 1590s, past participle adjective from end (v.).
- endemic (adj.)




- "particular to a people or locality," 1650s (endemical), with -ic + Greek endemos "native, dwelling in (a place), of or belonging to a people," from en "in" (see en- (2)) + demos "people, district" (see demotic). From 1660s as a noun.
- endgame (n.)




- also end-game, 1850, in chess, from end + game (n.). There is no formal or exact definition of it in chess, but it begins when most of the pieces have been cleared from the board.