英语词源字典 - 在线词源网站

Olympiad (n.)[Olympiad 词源字典]: late 14c., "period of four years" (between Olympic games), from Old French olimpiade "period of four years," from Latin Olympiadem, from Greek olympiados, genitive of Olympias (see Olympic). Used by ancient Greeks as a unit in computing time. Revived in modern usage with revival of the games, 1896.[Olympiad etymology, Olympiad origin, 英语词源]
Olympian (adj.): "of or belonging to Olympus," c. 1600; see Olympic + -ian. The noun meaning "a great god of ancient Greece" is attested from 1843, from Late Latin Olympianus, from Greek Olympios "pertaining to Olympus;" sense of "one who competes in the (modern) Olympic Games" is from 1976.
Olympic (adj.): c. 1600, "of or in reference to Mount Olympos, also to Olympia (khora), town or district in Elis in ancient Greece, where athletic contests in honor of Olympian Zeus were held 776 B.C.E. and every four years thereafter; from Greek Olympikos, from Olympos, of unknown origin. The modern Olympic Games are a revival, begun in 1896. Not the same place as Mount Olympus, abode of the gods, which was in Thessaly.
Olympus: high mountain in Thessaly, abode of the gods, from Greek Olympos, of unknown origin. The name was given to several mountains, each seemingly the highest in its district.
om: mystical word in Hinduism, Buddhism; an utterance of assent, 1788.
Omaha: Siouan Indians of northeastern Nebraska, 1804, perhaps from Omaha umaha, perhaps literally "upstream (people), against the flow."
Oman: coastal nation in Arabia, supposedly named for its founder. Recorded from Roman times (Omana, in Pliny). Related: Omani.
ombre (n.): card game popular early 18c., from French hombre, from Spanish hombre "man" (see hombre). So called from an expression (translatable as "I am the man") spoken in the course of the game.
ombudsman (n.): 1959, from Swedish ombudsman, literally "commission man" (specifically in reference to the office of justitieombudsmannen, which hears and investigates complaints by individuals against abuses of the state); cognate with Old Norse umboðsmaðr, from umboð "commission" (from um- "around," see ambi-, + boð "command," see bid (v.)) + maðr "man" (see man (n.)).
omega: c. 1400, from Medieval Greek omega, from classical Greek o mega "big 'o' " (in contrast to o micron "little 'o' "); so called because the vowel was long in ancient Greek. From mega (see mega-). The final letter of the Greek alphabet, hence used figuratively for "the last, final" of anything (as in Rev. i:8),
omelet (n.): 1610s, from French omelette (16c.), metathesis of alemette (14c.), from alemele "omelet," literally "blade (of a knife or sword)," probably a misdivision of la lemelle (mistaken as l'alemelle), from Latin lamella "thin, small plate," diminutive of lamina "plate, layer" (see laminate). The food so called from its flat shape. The proverb "you can't make an omelet without breaking eggs" (1859) translates French On ne saurait faire une omelette sans casser des oeufs. Middle English had hanonei "fried onions mixed with scrambled eggs" (mid-15c.).
omen (n.): 1580s, from Latin omen "foreboding," from Old Latin osmen, of unknown origin; perhaps connected with the root of audire "to hear" [OED] or from PIE *o- "to believe, hold as true" (cognates: Greek oiomai "I suppose, think, believe").
omer (n.): Hebrew measure of capacity (a little over 5 pints), from Hebrew 'omer.
omerta (n.): 1909, from dialectal form of Italian umilta "humility," in reference to the code of submission of individuals to the group interest, from Latin humilitas (see humility).
omg: Internet chat abbreviation of oh my God, by 1994. (Earlier in computerese it meant Object Management Group, 1989, a consortium which helped pave the way for the modern Internet.)
omicron: 15th letter of the Greek alphabet, literally "small 'o,' " from Greek (s)mikros "small," from PIE *smik-. Because the vowel was "short" in ancient Greek. Compare Omega.
ominous (adj.): 1580s, from Latin ominosus "full of foreboding," from omen (genitive ominis) "foreboding" (see omen). Related: Ominousness.
ominously (adv.): 1590s, from ominous + -ly (2). In earliest use, "of good omen, auspicious;" meaning "of evil omen" first attested 1640s, in Milton.
omission (n.): late 14c., from Latin omissionem (nominative omissio) "an omitting," noun of action from past participle stem of omittere (see omit). Related: Omissible.
omit (v.): early 15c., from Latin omittere "let go, let fall," figuratively "lay aside, disregard," from assimilated form of ob (here perhaps intensive) + mittere "let go, send" (see mission). Related: Omitted; omitting.