quword 趣词
Word Origins Dictionary
- fictionalize (v.)



[fictionalize 词源字典] - 1911, from fictional + -ize. Related: Fictionalized; fictionalizing. Earlier was fictionize (1822).[fictionalize etymology, fictionalize origin, 英语词源]
- fictitious (adj.)




- 1610s, "artificial, counterfeit;" 1620s, "existing only in imagination," from Medieval Latin fictitius, a misspelling of Latin ficticius "artificial, counterfeit," from fictus "feigned, fictitious, false," past participle of fingere "to shape, form, devise, feign" (see fiction). Related: Fictitiously; fictitiousness.
- fictive (adj.)




- 1610s, "formed by imagination," from French fictif, from stem of Latin fictio (see fiction). Earlier as "convincingly deceptive" (late 15c.). Related: Fictively.
- ficus (n.)




- c. 1400, from Latin ficus "fig, fig tree" (see fig). With capital letter, as the name of a large genus of trees and shrubs, chosen by Linnaeus (1753).
- fiddle (n.)




- "stringed musical instrument, violin," late 14c., fedele, fydyll, fidel, earlier fithele, from Old English fiðele "fiddle," which is related to Old Norse fiðla, Middle Dutch vedele, Dutch vedel, Old High German fidula, German Fiedel "a fiddle;" all of uncertain origin.
The usual suggestion, based on resemblance in sound and sense, is that it is from Medieval Latin vitula "stringed instrument" (source of Old French viole, Italian viola), which perhaps is related to Latin vitularia "celebrate joyfully," from Vitula, Roman goddess of joy and victory, who probably, like her name, originated among the Sabines [Klein, Barnhart]. Unless the Medieval Latin word is from the Germanic ones.
FIDDLE, n. An instrument to tickle human ears by friction of a horse's tail on the entrails of a cat. [Ambrose Bierce, "The Cynic's Word Book," 1906]
Fiddle has been relegated to colloquial usage by its more proper cousin, violin, a process encouraged by phraseology such as fiddlesticks (1620s), contemptuous nonsense word fiddle-de-dee (1784), and fiddle-faddle. Century Dictionary reports that fiddle "in popular use carries with it a suggestion of contempt and ridicule." Fit as a fiddle is from 1610s. - fiddle (v.)




- late 14c., "play upon a fiddle," from fiddle (n.); the figurative sense of "to act nervously, make idle movements, move the hands or something held in them in an idle, ineffective way" is from 1520s. Related: Fiddled; fiddling.
- fiddle-faddle




- 1570s, "trifles" (n.); 1630s "busy oneself with trifles; talk nonsense" (v.), apparently a reduplication of obsolete faddle "to trifle," or of fiddle in its contemptuous sense.
- fiddle-head (n.)




- also fiddlehead, "one with a head as hollow as a fiddle," 1854 (fiddleheaded), from fiddle (n.) + head (n.). As a name for young fern fronds, from 1877, from resemblance to a violin's scroll. Earliest use is nautical, "carved ornamental work at the bow of a ship in the form of a scroll or volute" (1799).
There are three kinds of heads,--1st The Figure-head is one on which is placed the figure of a man, woman, or the like, &c.; 2d, The Billet-head, or Scroll-head is one finished with two scrolls or volutes ...; and 3d, the Fiddle-head, which is finished with only one scroll or volute, having the spirals turning inwards to the vessel. [Peter Hedderwick, "Treatise on Marine Architecture," Edinburgh, 1830]
- fiddler (n.)




- late 13c., from Old English fiðelere "fiddler" (fem. fiðelestre), agent noun from fiddle (v.). Similar formation in Dutch vedelaar, German Fiedler, Danish fidler. Fiddler's Green "sailor's paradise" first recorded 1825, nautical slang. Fiddler crab is from 1714.
- fiddlestick (n.)




- 15c., originally "the bow of a fiddle," from fiddle (n.) and stick (n.). Meaning "nonsense" (usually fiddlesticks) is from 1620s. As an exclamation, c. 1600.
- fideism (n.)




- in various theological doctrines making knowledge dependent on faith, 1885, from Latin fides "faith" (see faith) + -ism.
- fidelity (n.)




- early 15c., "faithfulness, devotion," from Middle French fidélité (15c.), from Latin fidelitatem (nominative fidelitas) "faithfulness, adherence, trustiness," from fidelis "faithful, true, trusty, sincere," from fides "faith" (see faith). From 1530s as "faithful adherence to truth or reality;" specifically of sound reproduction from 1878.
- fidget (n.)




- 1670s, as the fidget "uneasiness," later the fidgets, from a verb fidge "move restlessly" (16c., surviving longest in Scottish), perhaps from Middle English fiken "to fidget, hasten" (see fike (v.)).
- fidget (v.)




- 1670s (implied in fidgetting); see fidget (n.). Related: Fidgeted.
- fidgety (adj.)




- 1730s, from fidget (n.) + -y (2). Related: Fidgetiness.
- fiducial (adj.)




- 1570s, "assumed as a fixed basis for comparison," from Latin fiducialis "reliable," from fiducia "trust" (see faith). From 1620s as "pertaining to trust;" 1832 as "fiduciary."
- fiduciary (adj.)




- 1640s, "holding something in trust," from Latin fiduciarius "entrusted, held in trust," from fiducia "trust, confidence, reliance;" in law, "a deposit, pledge, security," from root of fidere "to trust" (see faith). In Roman law, fiducia was "a right transferred in trust;" paper currency sense (1878) is because its value depends on the trust of the public. As a noun, "one who holds something in trust," from 1630s.
- fie (interj.)




- late 13c., possibly from Old French fi, exclamation of disapproval (12c.), and reinforced by Old Norse fy or some other Scandinavian form; it's a general sound of disgust that seems to have developed independently in many languages. Fie-fie was a 19c. British jocular word for "improper," also, as a noun, "woman of tarnished reputation" [OED].
- fief (n.)




- also feoff, 1610s, from French fief (12c.) "a 'feud,' possession, holding, domain; feudal duties, payment," from Medieval Latin feodum "land or other property whose use is granted in return for service," widely said to be from Frankish *fehu-od "payment-estate," or a similar Germanic compound, in which the first element is from Proto-Germanic *fekhu, making it cognate with Old English feoh "money, movable property, cattle" (see fee). Second element perhaps is similar to Old English ead "wealth" (see Edith).
- fiefdom (n.)




- 1814, from fief + -dom.