英语词源字典 - 在线词源网站

motherly (adj.)[motherly 词源字典]: Old English modorlic "pertaining to a mother;" see mother (n.1) + -ly (1). Meaning "befitting a mother" is from mid-13c. Related: Motherliness.[motherly etymology, motherly origin, 英语词源]
Mothers' Day: the spelling used in the U.S. congressional resolution first recognizing it, May 9, 1908.
mothership (n.): also mother-ship, 1890, from mother (n.1) + ship (n.).
motif (n.): "theme, predominant feature," 1848, from French motif "dominant idea, theme" (see motive).
motile (adj.): "capable of movement," 1831, back-formation from motility.
motility (n.): "capacity of movement," 1827, from French motilité (1827), from Latin mot-, stem of movere "to move" (see move (v.)).
motion (n.): late 14c., "suggestion; process of moving," from Old French mocion "movement, motion; change, alteration" (13c.), from Latin motionem (nominative motio) "a moving, a motion; an emotion," from past participle stem of movere "to move" (see move (v.)). Motion picture attested from 1896.
motion (v.): late 15c., "to request, petition" (obsolete), from motion (n.). The sense in parliamentary procedure first recorded 1747; with meaning "to guide or direct by a sign, gesture, movement" it is attested from 1787. Related: Motioned; motioning.
motionless (adj.): 1590s, from motion (n.) + -less. Related: Motionlessly; motionlessness.
motivate (v.): 1863, "to stimulate toward action," from motive + -ate (2); perhaps modeled on French motiver or German motivieren. Related: Motivated; motivating.
motivation (n.): 1873, from motivate + -ion. Psychological use, "inner or social stimulus for an action," is from 1904.
motivational (adj.): 1931, from motivation + -al (1).
motivator (n.): 1917, agent noun in Latin form from motivate (v.).
motive (n.): mid-14c., "something brought forward," from Old French motif "will, drive, motivation," noun use of adjective, literally "moving," from Medieval Latin motivus "moving, impelling," from Latin motus "a moving, motion," past participle of movere "to move" (see move (v.)). Meaning "that which inwardly moves a person to behave a certain way" is from early 15c.
motive (adj.): late 14c., from Old French motif "moving" or directly from Medieval Latin motivus "moving, impelling," from past participle stem of movere "to move" (see move (v.)).
motiveless (adj.): 1817, from motive (n.) + -less.
motley (adj.): late 14c., "parti-colored" (originally of fabric), from Anglo-French motteley, probably from Old English mot "speck" (see mote). But Klein's sources say probably from Gaulish. "Diversified in color," especially of a fool's dress. Hence, allusively, "a fool" (1600). As a noun meaning "cloth of mixed color" from late 14c.
moto-: word-forming element meaning "motion, motor," from Latin motus, past participle of movere (see move (v.)).
motocross: also moto-cross, by 1956, from motorcycle + cross-country.
motor (n.): mid-15c., "controller, prime mover," from Latin motor, literally "mover," agent noun from past participle stem of movere "to move" (see move (v.)). From 15c. as "controller, prime mover" (in reference to God); sense of "agent or force that produces mechanical motion" is first recorded 1660s; that of "machine that supplies motive power" is from 1856. First record of slang motor-mouth "fast-talking person" is from 1970.