英语词源字典 - 在线词源网站

midshipman (n.)[midshipman 词源字典]: c. 1600, originally so called because he was stationed amidships when on duty (see amid).[midshipman etymology, midshipman origin, 英语词源]
midst (n.): c. 1400, from Middle English middes (mid-14c.), from mid + adverbial genitive -s. The parasitic -t is perhaps on model of superlatives (compare against).
midstream (n.): also mid-stream, Old English midstream; see mid + stream (n.).
midsummer (n.): Old English midsumor, from mid + sumor "summer" (see summer (n.1)). Midsummer Day, as an English quarter-day, was June 24. Astronomically June 21, but traditionally reckoned in Europe on the night of June 23-24.
midway (n.): Old English mid-weg "the middle of a way or distance;" see mid + way (n.). Meaning "central avenue of a fairground" is first recorded 1893, American English, in reference to the Midway Plaisance of the Worlds Columbian Exposition held that year in Chicago. The Pacific island group so called for being midway between America and Asia. As an adverb from late Old English.
Midwest (n.): 1926, in U.S. geographical sense, from earlier Midwestern (1889) in reference to a group of states originally listed as W.Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, Kansas, and Arkansas; now generally meaning states somewhat further northwest. Related: Midwesterner.
midwife (n.): c. 1300, "woman assisting," literally "woman who is 'with' " (the mother at birth), from Middle English mid "with" (see mid) + wif "woman" (see wife). Cognate with German Beifrau.
midwifery (n.): late 15c.; a hybrid from midwife + -ery.
midwinter (n.): also mid-winter, Old English midwinter, also midde winter; see mid + winter (n.). The middle of winter, especially the period around the winter solstice (Dec. 21). As an adjective from mid-12c.
mien (n.): "facial expression," 1510s, probably a shortening of Middle English demean "bearing, demeanor" (see demeanor) and influenced by Middle French mine "appearance, facial expression," which is of unknown origin, possibly Celtic (compare Breton min "beak, muzzle, nose," Irish men "mouth").
miff (n.): 1620s, "fit of ill humor," perhaps imitative of an exclamation of disgust (compare German muffen "to sulk").
miff (v.): 1797, "to take offense at;" 1811, "to put out of humor," from miff (n.). Related: miffed; miffing.
miffed (adj.): 1824, past participle adjective from miff (v.). Sir Walter Scott calls it "a women's phrase."
miffy (adj.): "liable to 'take a miff,' " 1810, from miff (n.) + -y (2). Related: Miffiness.
MiG: in name of various Russian fighter planes, so called in honor of aircraft designers Mikoyan and (Russian i) Gurevitch.
might (v.): Old English mihte, meahte, originally the past tense of may (Old English magen "to be able"), thus "*may-ed." See may (v.). The first record of might-have-been is from 1848.
might (n.): Old English miht, earlier mæht "might, bodily strength, power, authority, ability," from Proto-Germanic *makhti- (cognates: Old Norse mattr, Old Frisian, Middle Dutch, Dutch macht, Old High German maht, German Macht, Gothic mahts), Germanic suffixed form of PIE root *magh- (1) "be able, have power" (see may (v.)).
mightily (adv.): Old English mihtiglice; see mighty + -ly (2).
mightiness (n.): Old English mihtinesse; see mighty + -ness.
mighty (adj.): Old English mihtig, earlier mæhtig, from miht (see might (n.)). Similar formation in Old Frisian mechtig, Old Saxon mahtig, Dutch machtig, German mächtig. As an adverb, it is attested from c. 1300, though now considered colloquial.