quword 趣词
Word Origins Dictionary
- gilding (n.)



[gilding 词源字典] - mid-15c., "action of gilding;" 1630s, "golden surface produced by gilding;" verbal noun from gild (v.).[gilding etymology, gilding origin, 英语词源]
- Gilead




- Biblical site (Gen. xxxi:21, etc.), traditionally from the name of a grandson of Manasseh, perhaps from Aramaic gal "heap of stones."
- Giles




- masc. proper name, from Old French Gilles, from Latin Egidius, Aegidius (name of a famous 7c. Provençal hermit who was a popular saint in the Middle Ages), from Greek aigidion "kid" (see aegis). Often used in English as a typical name of a simple-minded farmer.
- gill (n.1)




- "organ of breathing in fishes," early 14c., of unknown origin, perhaps related to Scandinavian words, such as Old Norse gjölnar which perhaps means "gills," and Old Danish -gæln (in fiske-gæln "fish gill"); said to be ultimately from a PIE *ghel-una- "jaw" (cognate: Greek kheilos "lip"). Related: Gills.
- gill (n.2)




- liquid measure (commonly a half-pint), late 13c., from Old French gille, a wine measure, and from Medieval Latin gillo "earthenware jar," words of uncertain origin, perhaps related to the source of gallon.
- Gill




- fem. proper name, shortened form of Gillian. Also see Jill. Gill-flirt "giddy young woman" is from 1630s.
- Gillian




- fem. proper name, from French Juliane, from Late Latin Juliana (a saint's name), fem. of Iulianus, literally "of Julius," the Roman gens name (see Julius).
- gillyflower (n.)




- type of flowering plant, 1550s, folk etymology alteration (by association with unrelated flower) of gilofre "gillyflower" (late 14c.), originally "clove" (c. 1300), from Old French girofle "clove" (12c.), from Latin caryophyllon, from Greek karyophyllon "clove, nut leaf, dried flower bud of clove tree," from karyon "nut" (see karyo-) + phyllon "leaf" (see phyllo-). The flower so named for its scent.
- gilt (adj.)




- "gilded," c. 1400, past participle of Middle English gilden "to gild," from Old English gyldan (see gild (v.)). Also used as a noun with a sense of "gilding" (early 15c.).
- gimbal (n.)




- 1570s, "joints, connecting links," alteration of gemel "twins" (late 14c.), from Old French jumel "a twin" (12c., Modern French jumeau), from Latin gemellus, diminutive of geminus (adj.) "twin, born together" (see geminate). As a type of contrivance for securing free motion in suspension, by 1780. Related: Gimbals. Gemmels (plural) was Middle English for "twins" (latge 14c.), also "Gemini," from Old French gemeles; hence also gemel ring, a double finger-ring that may be taken apart; also gimmal.
- gimcrack (n.)




- "trifle, knick-knack," by c. 1820, earlier "mechanical contrivance" (1630s), originally "showy person" (1610s), of uncertain origin. Perhaps an alteration of Middle English gibecrake, the name of some kind of ornament on wooden furniture (mid-14c.), which is perhaps from Old French giber "to rattle, shake" + some special sense of Middle English crak "sharp noise, crack." In 18c.-19c. gimcrack also could mean "person who has a turn for mechanical contrivances."
- gimlet (n.)




- type of boring tool, mid-14c., gymbelette, from Anglo-French and Old French guimbelet, guibelet (12c., Modern French gibelet), which is probably of Germanic origin, perhaps from Middle Dutch wimmelkijn (with substitute of French diminutive suffix), diminutive of wimmel "auger, drill." Middle English also had wimble in the same sense (mid-13c.), probably from an Old North French form of the same word. As the name of a cocktail made with gin or vodka and lime juice, by 1928, presumably from its "penetrating" effects on the drinker.
- gimme (v.)




- by 1828, representing the colloquial contraction of give me. To have the gimmes "be eagerly greedy" is from 1918; gimme cap attested by 1978. Middle English had yemme, gemme, contractions of yeve me (Middle English form of give me).
TOMMY -- Gimme a cake.
MAMMA -- If what? -- If you please .
TOMMY -- O, let up on that Pinafore business; gimme a cake!
["Puck," July 2, 1878]
- gimmick (n.)




- 1910, American English, perhaps an alteration of gimcrack, or an anagram of magic.
In a hotel at Muscatine, Iowa, the other day I twisted the gimmick attached to the radiator, with the intention of having some heat in my Nova Zemblan booth. ["Domestic Engineering," January 8, 1910]
- gimmickry (n.)




- also gimmickery, by 1950, from gimmick + -ry.
- gimmicky (adj.)




- 1948, from gimmick + -y (2).
- gimp (n.1)




- 1925, "a crippled leg," also "a crippled person" (1929), perhaps by association with limp, or a corruption of gammy (see game (adj.)).
- gimp (n.2)




- also gymp, ornamental material for trimming dresses, furniture, etc., 1660s, probably from French guimpe, Old French guimple "wimple, headdress, veil" (12c.), from Frankish *wimpil- or some other Germanic source (compare Old High German wimpal, and see wimple).
- gimpy




- 1925 as a noun, "lame person;" 1931 as an adjective, "lame, crippled," hobo slang, from gimp (n.1) + -y (3) and (2).
- gin (n.1)




- type of distilled drinking alcohol, 1714, shortening of geneva, altered (by influence of the name of the Swiss city, with which it has no connection) from Dutch genever "gin," literally "juniper" (because the alcohol was flavored with its berries), from Old French genevre "the plant juniper" (12c.), from Vulgar Latin *jeniperus, from Latin juniperus "juniper" (see juniper). Gin and tonic is attested by 1873; gin-sling by 1790; gin-fizz (with lemon juice and aerated water) is from 1878. Gin-mill, U.S. slang for "low-class tavern or saloon where spirits are drunk" (1872) might be a play on the senses from gin (n.2). British gin-palace "gaudily decorated tavern or saloon where spirits are drunk" is from 1831.
The card game gin rummy first attested 1941 (described in "Life" that year as the latest Hollywood fad); OED lists it with the entries for the liquor, but the sense connection seems obscure other than as a play on rummy.