英语词源字典 - 在线词源网站

ligand (n.)[ligand 词源字典]: 1952, from Latin ligandus, gerundive of ligare "to bind" (see ligament).[ligand etymology, ligand origin, 英语词源]
ligate (v.): 1590s, from Latin ligatus, past participle of ligare "to bind" (see ligament). Related: Ligated; ligating.
ligation (n.): 1590s, from Middle French ligation, from Late Latin ligationem (nominative ligatio), noun of action from past participle stem of ligare "to bind" (see ligament).
ligature (n.): c. 1400, "something used in tying or binding," from Middle French ligature (14c.), from Late Latin ligatura "a band," from Latin ligatus, past participle of ligare "to bind" (see ligament). In musical notation from 1590s; of letters joined in printing or writing from 1690s.
light (n.): "brightness, radiant energy," Old English leht, earlier leoht "light, daylight," from Proto-Germanic *leukhtam (cognates: Old Saxon lioht, Old Frisian liacht, Middle Dutch lucht, Dutch licht, Old High German lioht, German Licht, Gothic liuhaþ "light"), from PIE *leuk- "light, brightness" (cognates: Sanskrit rocate "shines;" Armenian lois "light," lusin "moon;" Greek leukos "bright, shining, white;" Latin lucere "to shine," lux "light," lucidus "clear;" Old Church Slavonic luci "light;" Lithuanian laukas "pale;" Welsh llug "gleam, glimmer;" Old Irish loche "lightning," luchair "brightness;" Hittite lukezi "is bright").

The -gh- was an Anglo-French scribal attempt to render the Germanic hard -h- sound, which has since disappeared from this word. The figurative spiritual sense was in Old English; the sense of "mental illumination" is first recorded mid-15c. Meaning "something used for igniting" is from 1680s. Meaning "a consideration which puts something in a certain view (as in in light of) is from 1680s. Something that's a joy and a delight has been the light of (someone's) eyes since Old English:
Ðu eart dohtor min, minra eagna leoht [Juliana].
To see the light "come into the world" is from 1680s; later in a Christian sense.
light (adj.1): "not heavy," from Old English leoht "not heavy, light in weight; easy, trifling; quick, agile," from Proto-Germanic *lingkhtaz (cognates: Old Norse lettr, Swedish lätt, Old Frisian, Middle Dutch licht, German leicht, Gothic leihts), from PIE root *legwh- "not heavy, having little weight" (cognates: Latin levis "light," Old Irish lu "small;" see lever).

The notion in make light of (1520s) is of "unimportance." Alternative spelling lite, the darling of advertisers, is first recorded 1962. The adverb is Old English leohte, from the adjective. Light-skirts "woman of easy virtue" is attested from 1590s. To make light of is from 1520s.
light (v.1): "touch down," from Old English lihtan "to alight; alleviate, leave," from Proto-Germanic *linkhtijan, literally "to make light," from *lingkhtaz "not heavy" (see light (adj.1)). Apparently the ground sense is "to dismount a horse, etc., and thus relieve it of one's weight." To light out "leave hastily" is 1870, from a nautical meaning "move out, move heavy objects," of unknown origin but perhaps belonging to this word (compare lighter (n.1)).
light (v.2): "to illuminate, fill with brightness," Old English lyhtan, common Germanic (cognates: Old Saxon liohtian, Old High German liuhtan, German leuchten, Gothic liuhtjan "to light"), from source of from light (n.). Related: Lighted; lighting.
light (adj.2): "not dark," Old English leoht, common Germanic (cognates: Old Saxon and Old High German lioht, Old Frisian liacht, German licht "bright," from the source of Old English leoht (see light (n.)). Meaning "pale-hued" is from 1540s.
light bulb (n.): also lightbulb, 1884, from light (n.) + bulb.
light year (n.): also light-year, lightyear, "distance light travels in one year," 1888, from light (n.) + year.
light-fingered (adj.): "thievish," 1540s, from light (adj.1) + finger.
light-headed (adj.): also lightheaded, "dizzy," 1530s; from light (adj.1) + head (n.). Related: Light-headedness.
light-hearted (adj.): also lighthearted, "cheerful," c. 1400, from light (adj.1) + hearted. Related: Light-heartedly; light-heartedness.
lighten (v.1): "to make less heavy," figuratively "to make cheerful," mid-14c., from light (adj.1) + -en (1). Related: Lightened; lightening.
lighten (v.2): "shed light upon, illuminate, brighten," early 14c., from light (n.) -en (1). Meaning "to grow brighter" is late 14c. Of faces, expressions, etc., from 1795. Related: Lightened; lightening.
lightening (n.): "the shedding of light," mid-14c., verbal noun from lighten (v.2). Meaning "alleviation of weight" (literal and figurative) is from 1520s, from lighten (v.1).
lighter (n.1): "barge," late 15c., agent noun from light (adj.1), with a sense of lightening a load, or else from Dutch lichter, from lichten "to lighten, unload," on the same notion. They are used in loading or unloading ships that cannot approach a wharf.
lighter (n.2): "person who lights," 1550s, agent noun from light (v.2).
lighthouse (n.): 1620s, from light (n.) + house (n.).