英语词源字典 - 在线词源网站

magic (adj.)[magic 词源字典]: late 14c., from Old French magique, from Latin magicus "magic, magical," from Greek magikos, from magike (see magic (n.)). Magic carpet first attested 1816. Magic Marker (1951) is a registered trademark (U.S.) by Speedry Products, Inc., Richmond Hill, N.Y. Magic lantern "optical instrument whereby a magnified image is thrown upon a wall or screen" is 1690s, from Modern Latin laterna magica.[magic etymology, magic origin, 英语词源]
magic (v.): 1906, from magic (n.).
magical (adj.): 1550s, from magic (n.) + -al (1). Related: Magically.
magician (n.): late 14c., from Old French magiciien "magician, sorcerer," from magique (see magic (n.)).
Maginot Line: fortifications built along the north and east borders of France before World War II, in which the French placed unreasonable confidence, named for André Maginot (1877-1932), French Minister of War in late 1920s, early 1930s.
magisterial (adj.): 1630s, from Medieval Latin magisterialis "of or pertaining to the office of magistrate, director, or teacher," from Late Latin magisterius "having authority of a magistrate," from magister "chief, director" (see master (n.)). Related: Magisterially.
magistral (adj.): 1570s, from Latin magistralis "of a master," from magister "chief, director" (see master (n.)).
magistrate (n.): late 14c., "civil officer in charge of administering laws," from Old French magistrat, from Latin magistratus "a magistrate, public functionary," originally "magisterial rank or office," from magistrare "serve as a magistrate," from magister "chief, director" (see master). Related: Magistracy.
maglev: 1973, contraction of magnetic levitation.
magma (n.): mid-15c., "dregs," from Latin magma "dregs of an ointment," from Greek magma "thick unguent, ointment," from root of massein "to knead, mold," from PIE *mag- "to knead" (see macerate). Geological meaning "molten rock" is 1859. Related: Magmalic.
Magna Carta: also Magna Charta, 1560s, Medieval Latin, literally "great charter" (of English personal and political liberty), attested in Anglo-Latin from 1279; obtained from King John, June 15, 1215. See magnate, card (n.).
magna cum laude: 1900, Latin, literally "with great praise;" from magna (see magnate) + cum laude.
magna mater: fertility goddess, 1728, Latin, literally "great mother." See magnate + mother (n.1).
magnanimity (n.): mid-14c., "loftiness of thought or purpose," from Old French magnanimité "high-mindedness, generosity of spirit," from Latin magnanimitatem (nominative magnanimitas) "greatness of soul, high-mindedness," from magnanimus "having a great soul," from magnus "great" (see magnate) + animus "mind, soul, spirit" (see animus). Probably a loan-translation of Greek megalopsykhos "high-souled, generous" (Aristotle) or megathymus "great-hearted."
magnanimous (adj.): 1580s, a back-formation from magnanimity + -ous, or else from Latin magnanimus "highminded," literally "great-souled" (see magnanimity). Related: Magnanimously.
magnate (n.): mid-15c., "great man, noble, man of wealth," from Late Latin magnates, plural of magnas "great person, nobleman," from Latin magnus "great, large, big" (of size), "abundant" (of quantity), "great, considerable" (of value), "strong, powerful" (of force); of persons, "elder, aged," also, figuratively, "great, mighty, grand, important," from PIE *mag-no-, from root *meg- "great" (cognates: Sanskrit maha-, mahat- "great;" Greek megas, fem. megale "great, large;" Gothic mikils, Old English micel "great, big, many;" see mickle).
magnesia (n.): late 14c., in alchemy, "main ingredient of the philosopher's stone," from Medieval Latin magnesia, from Greek (he) Magnesia (lithos) "the lodestone," literally "(the) Magnesian (stone)," from Magnesia, region in Thessaly, which is said to be named for the native people name Magnetes, which is of unknown origin. The ancient word, in this sense, has evolved into magnet. But in ancient times the same word, magnes, was used of lodestone as well as of a mineral commonly used in bleaching glass (modern pyrolusite, or manganese dioxide).

In Middle Ages there was some attempt to distinguish lodestone as magnes (masc.) and pyrolusite as magnesia (fem.). Meanwhile, in 18c., a white powder (magnesium carbonate) used as a cosmetic and toothpaste was sold in Rome as magnesia alba ("white magnesia"). It was from this, in 1808, that Davy isolated magnesium. He wanted to call it magnium, to stay as far as possible from the confused word magnesia, but the name was adopted in the form magnesium. Meanwhile from 16c. the other name of pyrolusite had been corrupted to manganese, and when, in 1774, a new element was isolated from it, it came to be called manganese.

Magnesia in its main modern sense of "magnesium oxide" (1755) is perhaps an independent formation from Latin magnes carneus "flesh-magnet" (c. 1550), so called because it adheres strongly to the lips.
magnesium (n.): silvery-white metallic element, 1808, coined by English chemist Sir Humphrey Davy (1778-1829) from white magnesia (q.v.), in which it was found, + chemical ending -ium.
magnet (n.): mid-15c. (earlier magnes, late 14c.), from Old French magnete "magnetite, magnet, lodestone," and directly from Latin magnetum (nominative magnes) "lodestone," from Greek ho Magnes lithos "the Magnesian stone," from Magnesia, region in Thessaly where magnetized ore was obtained. Figurative use from 1650s. It has spread from Latin to most Western European languages (German and Danish magnet, Dutch magneet, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese magnete), but it was superseded in French by aimant. Also see magnesia. Chick magnet attested from 1989.
magnetic (adj.): 1610s, literal; 1630s, figurative, from Modern Latin magneticus, from Latin magnes (see magnet).