英语词源字典 - 在线词源网站

malapert (adj.)[malapert 词源字典]: "impudent," early 15c., from Old French mal apert, literally "ill-skilled," from mal- "badly" (see mal-) + apert "skillful," variant of espert "experienced, skillful, clever" (from Latin expertus; see expert). Related: Malapertly; malapertness.[malapert etymology, malapert origin, 英语词源]
malaprop (n.): 1823, from name of theatrical character Mrs. Malaprop (see malapropism). Related: Malapropian.
malapropism (n.): 1826, from Mrs. Malaprop, character in Sheridan's play "The Rivals" (1775), noted for her ridiculous misuse of large words (such as "contagious countries" for "contiguous countries"), her name coined from malapropos.
malapropos (adv.): 1660s, from French mal à propos "inopportunely, inappropriately," literally "badly for the purpose," from mal (see mal-) + proposer "propose" (see propose).
malaria (n.): 1740, from Italian mal'aria, from mala aria, literally "bad air," from mala "bad" (fem. of malo, from Latin malus; see mal-) + aria "air" (see air (n.1)). Probably first used by Italian physician Francisco Torti (1658-1741). The disease, now known to be mosquito-borne, once was thought to be caused by foul air in marshy districts. Replaced native ague.
malarial (adj.): 1830, from malaria + -al (1).
malarkey (n.): also malarky, "lies and exaggerations," 1924, American English, of unknown origin. It also is a surname.
malassimilation (n.): also mal-assimilation, 1840, from mal- + assimilation.
malaxation (n.): "softening," 1650s, from Late Latin malaxationem (nominative malaxatio), noun of action from past participle stem of malaxare "to soften, mollify," from Greek malassein "to make soft," related to malakos "soft" (see mallet).
Malay (n.): 1590s, from native name Malayu. As an adjective from 1779; earlier adjective form was Malayan (1660s).
Malayalam: 1837, Dravidian language of Malabar, from Dravidian Malayali, from mala "mountain" + al "possess."
Malaysia: from Malay + Latinate ending -sia. Originally an early 19c. British geographers' name for the Indonesian archipelago. Related: Malaysian.
Malcolm: masc. proper name, from Old Irish Máel Coluim "servant of (St.) Columba," from máel "servant," etymologically "bald, shorn, hornless," from PIE base *mai- "to cut" (see maim).
malcontent: 1580s, noun and adjective, from French malcontent; see mal- + content (adj.). Related: Malcontented; malcontentedly; malcontentedness.
maldistribution (n.): also mal-distribution, 1824, from mal- + distribution.
Maldives: probably from Sanskrit maladvipa "garland of islands," from mala "garland" + dvipa "island." Related: Maldivian.
male (n.): late 14c., "male human being; male fish or land animal," from Old French masle (adj.) "masculine, male, adult," also used as a noun (12c., Modern French mâle), from Latin masculus "masculine, male, worthy of a man" (source also of Provençal mascle, Spanish macho, Italian maschio), diminutive of mas (genitive maris) "male person or animal, male."
male (adj.): late 14c., from Old French male, masle "male, masculine; a male" (see male (n.)). Mechanical sense of "part of an instrument that penetrates another part" is from 1660s.
male chauvinism (n.): 1969; see chauvinism.
male chauvinist (adj.): 1969; see chauvinism.