英语词源字典 - 在线词源网站

boulevard [boulevard 词源字典]: boulevard: [18] Boulevard is a frenchified version of German bollwerk ‘fortification’ (the corresponding anglicized version is bulwark). The meaning of the French word, apparently quite divergent from that of bulwark, comes originally from the practice of constructing walkways along the top of demolished ramparts.
=> bulwark[boulevard etymology, boulevard origin, 英语词源]
devastate: devastate: [17] Etymologically as well as semantically, devastate is related to ‘lay waste’. It comes from the past participle of Latin dēvāstāre, a compound verb formed from the intensive prefix dē- and vāstāre ‘lay waste’. This was a derivative of vāstus ‘waste’, source of English waste.
=> vast, waste
evanescent: evanescent: see vanish
evangelist: evangelist: [12] The original sense of evangelist was ‘writer of a gospel’. English used to have the word evangel ‘gospel’. This came via Old French evangile and ecclesiastical Latin evangelium from Greek euaggélion, which in classical times meant ‘reward for bringing good news’ (it was a compound based ultimately on the prefix eu- ‘good, well’ and the noun ággelos ‘messenger’ – source of English angel).

Later on it came to mean simply ‘good news’, and in early Christian texts written in Greek it denoted specifically any of the four books of the New Testament written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. (English gospel was originally a literal translation of it.) Evangelist itself comes from the Greek derivative euaggelistés.
=> angel
medieval: medieval: see medium
prevaricate: prevaricate: [16] Etymologically, prevaricate means ‘walk crookedly’, and it goes back ultimately to a Latin adjective meaning ‘knockkneed’, varus. From this was derived the verb vāricāre ‘straddle’, which was combined with the prefix prae- ‘before, beyond’ to produce praevāricārī ‘walk crookedly’, hence ‘deviate’. This developed in English to ‘deviate from straightforward behaviour’, hence ‘be evasive, equivocate’.
relevant: relevant: [16] Relevant comes ultimately from the present participle of Latin relevāre ‘raise’, source of English relief and relieve. The modern English sense ‘appropriate’ probably developed from a medieval application of relevāre to ‘take up’, hence ‘take possession of property’, which led to relevant being used as a legal term for ‘connected with’.
=> relief, relieve
believability (n.): 1865, from believable + -ity.
believable (adj.): late 14c., from believe + -able. Related: Believably.
boulevard (n.): 1769, from French boulevard (15c.), originally "top surface of a military rampart," from a garbled attempt to adopt Middle Dutch bolwerc "wall of a fortification" (see bulwark) into French, which at that time lacked a -w- in its alphabet. The notion is of a promenade laid out atop demolished city walls, a way which would be much wider than urban streets. Originally in English with conscious echoes of Paris; since 1929, in U.S., used of multi-lane limited-access urban highways. Early French attempts to digest the Dutch word also include boloart, boulever, boloirque, bollvercq.
boulevardier (n.): 1856, French, "one who frequents the boulevard;" i.e.: man-about-town, one fond of urban living and society.
cheval de frise (n.): 1680s, from French, literally "horse of Frisia," supposedly because it was first employed there as a defense against cavalry; from French cheval "horse" (see cavalier (n.)). Plural chevaux de frise.
chevalier (n.): late 13c., Anglo-French chivaler "mounted knight," Old French chevalier "knight, horseman, knight in chess" (12c., Modern French chevaler), from Late Latin caballarius "horseman" (source of Provençal cavallier, Spanish caballero, Portuguese cavalleiro, Italian cavaliere; see cavalier (n.)). The word formerly was nativized, but has been given a French pronunciation since 16c.
coeval (adj.): "having the same age," formed in English early 17c. from Late Latin coaevus, from Latin com- "equal" (see co-) + aevum "an age" (see eon). As a noun from c. 1600.
crevasse (n.): 1823, of glaciers; 1814, of riverbanks (in that case from Louisiana French), from French crevasse, from Old French crevace "crevice" (see crevice). Essentially the same word as crevice, but re-adopted in senses for which the meaning that had taken hold in crevice was felt to be too small.
deva (n.): "god, good spirit" in Hindu religion, from Sanskrit deva "a god," originally "a shining one," from *div- "to shine," thus cognate with Greek dios "divine" and Zeus, and Latin deus "god" (Old Latin deivos); see Zeus.

Fem. form devi is used for "goddess," also (with capital D-) for the mother goddess in Hinduism. Hence, also, devadasi "temple dancing girl," literally "female servant of a god," from dasi "slave girl." Also Devanagari, the formal alphabet of Sanskrit writings, perhaps originally "divine city script," from nagara "city."
devaluation (n.): 1898; see de- + valuation. Specific application to currency is from 1914.
devalue (v.): 1918, a back-formation from devaluation. Related: Devalued; devaluing.
devastate (v.): 1630s, perhaps a back-formation from devastation. Apparently not common until 19c.; earlier verb form devast is attested from 1530s, from Middle French devaster. Related: devastated; devastating.
devastating (adj.): 1630s, present participle adjective from devastate. Trivial use by 1889.
devastation (n.): mid-15c., from Middle French dévastation, from Late Latin devastationem (nominative devastatio), from past participle stem of Latin devastare "lay waste completely," from de- "completely" (see de-) + vastare "lay waste," from vastus "empty, desolate" (see waste (v.)).
elevate (v.): late 15c., "to raise above the usual position," from Latin elevatus, past participle of elevare "lift up, raise," figuratively, "to lighten, alleviate," from ex- "out" (see ex-) + levare "lighten, raise," from levis "light" in weight (see lever). Sense of "raise in rank or status" is from c. 1500. Moral or intellectual sense is from 1620s. Related: Elevated (which also was old slang for "drunk"); elevating.
elevation (n.): late 14c., "a rising, height of something, height to which something is elevated," from Old French elevation and directly from Latin elevationem (nominative elevatio) "a lifting up," noun of action from past participle stem of elevare "lift up, raise" (see elevate). Meaning "act of elevating" is from 1520s.
elevator (n.): 1640s, originally of muscles which raise a part of the body, from Latin elevator "one who raises up," agent noun from past participle stem of elevare (see elevate). As a name for a mechanical lift (originally for grain) attested from 1787. Elevator music is attested by 1963. Elevator as a lift for shoes is from 1940.
evacuate (v.): 1520s (trans.), from Latin evacuatus, past participle of evacuare "to empty, make void, nullify," used by Pliny in reference to the bowels, used figuratively in Late Latin for "clear out;" from assimilated form of ex- "out" (see ex-) + vacuus "empty" (see vacuum).

Earliest sense in English is medical. Military use is by 1710. Meaning "remove inhabitants to safer ground" is from 1934. Intransitive sense is from 1630s; of civilian persons by 1900. Replaced Middle English evacuen "draw off or expel (humors) from the body" (c. 1400). Related: Evacuated; evacuating.
evacuation (n.): c. 1400, "discharge from the body" (originally mostly of blood), from Old French évacuation and directly from Late Latin evacuationem (nominative evacuatio), noun of action from past participle stem of evacuare "to empty" (see evacuate). Military sense is by 1710. Of persons, by 1854.
evacuee (n.): 1934, from French évacué, from évacuer, from Latin evacuare "to empty" (see evacuate) + -ee. Evacuant (n.) was used from 1730s in medicine.
evade (v.): 1510s, "escape," from Middle French evader, from Latin evadere "to escape, get away," from assimilated form of ex- "away" (see ex-) + vadere "to go, walk" (see vamoose). Special sense of "escape by trickery" is from 1530s. Related: Evaded; evading.
evagation (n.): "action of wandering," 1650s, from French évagation, from Latin evagationem (nominative evagatio), noun of action from past participle stem of evagari, from assimilated form of ex- (see ex-) + vagari, from vagus "roving, wandering" (see vague).
evaginate (v.): 1650s, "withdraw (something) from a sheath;" 1660s, "to turn (a tube) inside out," from Latin evaginatus, past participle of evaginare "to unsheathe," from assimilated form of ex- (see ex-) + vagina (see vagina). Related: Evaginated; evaginating.
evaluate (v.): 1831, back-formation from evaluation, or else from French évaluer, back-formation from évaluation. Originally in mathematics. Related: Evaluated; evaluating.
evaluation (n.): 1755, "action of appraising or valuing," from French évaluation, noun of action from évaluer "to find the value of," from é- "out" (see ex-) + valuer (see value (n.)). Meaning "job performance review" attested by 1947.
evaluative (adj.): 1903, from evaluate + -ive.
Evan: masc. proper name, Welsh form of John, perhaps influenced in form by Welsh ieuanc "young man" (cognate of Latin juvenis), from Celtic *yowanko-, from PIE *yeu- "vital force, youthful vigor" (see young (adj.)).
evanesce (v.): "vanish by degrees, melt into thin air," 1817, a back-formation from evanescence, or else from Latin evanescere "to pass away, vanish" (see evanescent).
evanescence (n.): 1751, "process of gradually vanishing;" see evanescent + -ence. Meaning "quality of being evanescent" is from 1830. Evanescency is attested from 1660s.
evanescent (adj.): 1717, "on the point of becoming imperceptible," from French évanescent, from Latin evanescentem (nominative evanescens), present participle of evanescere "disappear, vanish, pass away," figuratively "be forgotten, be wasted," from assimilated form of ex- "out" (see ex-) + vanescere "vanish" (see vanish). Sense of "quickly vanishing, having no permanence" is by 1738.
evangel (n.): mid-14c., "the gospel," from Old French evangile, from Church Latin evangelium, from Greek evangelion (see evangelism).
evangelical: 1530s "of or pertaining to the gospel" (adj.), also "a Protestant," especially a German one (n.); with -al (1) + evangelic (early 15c.), from Old French evangelique, from Late Latin evangelicus, from evangelista (see evangelist).

From mid-18c. in reference to a tendency or school in Protestantism seeking to promote conversion and emphasizing salvation by faith, the sacrifice of Christ, and a strictly religious life. As "member of the 'evangelical' party in a church" from 1804. Related: Evangelically; Evangelicalism (1812).
Evangeline: fem. proper name, from French Évangeline, ultimately from Greek evangelion "good news" (see evangelism).
evangelism (n.): 1620s, "the preaching of the gospel," from evangel + -ism, or else from Medieval Latin evangelismus "a spreading of the Gospel," from Late Latin evangelium "good news, gospel," from Greek euangelion (see evangelist). In reference to evangelical Protestantism, from 1812.
evangelist (n.): late 12c., "Matthew, Mark, Luke or John," from Old French evangelist and directly from Late Latin evangelista, from Greek euangelistes "preacher of the gospel," literally "bringer of good news," from euangelizesthai "bring good news," from eu- "good" (see eu-) + angellein "announce," from angelos "messenger" (see angel).

In early Greek Christian texts, the word was used of the four traditional authors of the narrative gospels. Meaning "itinerant preacher" was another early Church usage, revived in Middle English (late 14c.). Classical Greek euangelion meant "the reward of good tidings;" sense transferred in Christian use to the glad tidings themselves. In Late Latin, Greek eu- regularly was consonantized to ev- before vowels.
evangelistic (adj.): 1838, from evangelist + -ic.
evangelization (n.): 1650s, "action of preaching the gospel," noun of action from evangelize. From 1827 as "act of bringing under the influence of the gospel."
evangelize (v.): late 14c., from Old French evangeliser "to spread or preach the Gospel," and directly from Church Latin evangelizare, from Greek euangelizesthai (see evangelist). Related: Evangelized; evangelizing.
evaporate (v.): early 15c., "draw off (humors or spirits) as vapor," from Late Latin evaporatum, past participle of evaporare "disperse in vapor" (see evaporation). Intransitive sense by 1560s. Figurative use by 1610s. Related: Evaporated; evaporating.
evaporation (n.): late 14c., from Old French évaporation and directly from Latin evaporationem (nominative evaporatio), noun of action from past participle stem of evaporare "disperse in vapor or steam," from assimilated form of ex- "out" (see ex-) + vapor "steam" (see vapor).
evasion (n.): early 15c., from Middle French évasion and directly from Late Latin evasionem (nominative evasio) "a going out," noun of action from past participle stem of Latin evadere "to escape" (see evade).
evasive (adj.): 1725 of persons; 1744 of actions, etc., from French évasif, from Latin evas-, past participle stem of evadere "to get away, escape" (see evasion). Related: Evasively; evasiveness. Evasive action is from 1940, originally in military aviation.
Geneva: city in Switzerland, from Latin Genava, perhaps from a PIE root meaning "estuary" or one meaning "bend;" in either case a reference to its situation. From 1920 sometimes in reference to the city as the site of the headquarters of the League of Nations. The original Geneva Convention among Great Britain and the major continental powers to introduce humanitarian conduct in modern warfare (neutrality of hospitals, etc.) dates from 1864; the most recent update was in 1949. The Geneva Protocol is a League of Nations document meant to settle international disputes; it dates from 1924. Earlier the city was associated with Calvinism. Related: Genevan (1841); Genevian (1570s); Genevese (1826); Genevois (1550s).