英语词源字典 - 在线词源网站

matter-of-fact [matter-of-fact 词源字典]: also matter of fact, 1570s as a noun, originally a legal term (translating Latin res facti), "that portion of an enquiry concerned with the truth or falsehood of alleged facts," opposed to matter of law. As an adjective from 1712. Meaning "prosaic, unimaginative" is from 1787. Related: Matter-of-factly; matter-of-factness. German Tatsache is said to be a loan-translation of the English word.[matter-of-fact etymology, matter-of-fact origin, 英语词源]
Matterhorn: Alpine mountain, from German Matte "meadow, pastureland" (see mead (n.2)) + Horn (see horn (n.)). So called for its horn-like shape.
matterless (adj.): late 14c., "insubstantial, immaterial, without physical substance," from matter (n.) + -less. From 1610s as "devoid of sense or meaning."
matters (n.): "events, affairs of a particular sort," 1560s, from plural of matter (n.).
Matthew: masc. proper name, introduced in England by the Normans, from Old French Mathieu, from Late Latin Matthaeus, from Greek Matthaios, contraction of Mattathias, from Hebrew Mattathyah "gift of Jehovah," from mattath "gift." Variant Matthias is from the Greek version.
Matthias: masc. proper name, from Late Latin Matthias, from Greek Matthaios (see Matthew).
matting (n.1): "process of making mats," 1720, from mat (n.1). Meaning "coarse fabric for mats" is from 1748.
matting (n.2): "ornamental border of a picture," 1864 from verbal derivative of mat (n.2).
mattock (n.): Old English mættoc, probably from Vulgar Latin *matteuca "club," related to Latin mateola, a kind of mallet (see mace (n.1)), but this is not certain, and synonymous Russian motyka, Lithuanian matikkas suggest other possibilities. OED says similar words in Welsh and Gaelic are from English.
mattress (n.): late 13c., from Old French materas (12c., Modern French matelas), from Italian materasso and directly from Medieval Latin matracium, borrowed in Sicily from Arabic al-matrah "the cushion" (also source of Spanish almadraque "mattress," Provençal almatrac), literally "the thing thrown down," from taraha "he threw (down)."
maturate (v.): 1540s, back-formation from maturation. Related: Maturated; maturating.
maturation (n.): early 15c., "the coming to a head of a boil, etc.; a state of producing pus," from Middle French maturation and directly from Latin maturationem (nominative maturatio), noun of action from past participle stem of maturare "to ripen, make ripe" (see mature (v.)).
mature (v.): late 14c., "encourage suppuration;" mid-15c. "bring to maturity," from Latin maturare "to ripen, bring to maturity," from maturus "ripe, timely, early," related to manus "good" and mane "early, of the morning," from PIE root *ma- (1) "good," with derivatives meaning "occurring at a good moment, timely, seasonable, early." Meaning "come or bring to maturity" is from 1620s. The financial sense of "reach the time for payment" is from 1861. Related: Matured; maturing.
mature (adj.): mid-15c., "ripe," also "careful, well-considered," from Latin maturus "ripe, timely, early" (see mature (v.)).
maturely (adv.): 1530s, "promptly," from mature (adj.) + -ly (2). Sense of "with deliberation" is from 1590s; that of "in a way indicative of maturity" is from 1841.
maturescent (adj.): 1727, "grown ripe," from Latin maturescentem (nominative maturescens), present participle of maturescere "be ripe, ripen," from maturus "ripe" (see mature (v.)) + inchoative suffix -escere.
maturity (n.): early 15c., "maturity of character;" mid-15c., "ripeness," from Middle French maturité and directly from Latin maturitatem (nominative maturitas) "ripeness," from maturus "ripe" (see mature (v.)). Financial sense "state of being due for payment" is from 1815.
matutinal (adj.): 1650s, from Latin matutinalis "pertaining to morning," from matutinus "of or pertaining to the morning," from Matuta, name of the Roman goddess of dawn, related to maturus âearlyâ (see mature (v.)). Earlier in same sense was matutine (mid-15c.). Related: Matutinally.
matzah (n.): also matza; see matzoh.
matzoh (n.): also matzo, flat piece of unleavened bread eaten by Jews during the Passover, 1846, from Hebrew matztzah (plural matztzoth) "unleavened bread," literally "juiceless," from stem of matzatz "he sucked out, drained out."