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oscillate [oscillate 词源字典]: oscillate: [18] Latin ōs originally meant ‘mouth’ (it was the source of English oral), but it was also used for ‘face’. Its diminutive form ōscillum ‘little face’ was applied to a mask depicting the god Bacchus that was hung up as a charm in vineyards, to be swung to and fro by the breeze. In due course its meaning broadened out to ‘swing’ generally, and a verb ōscillāre ‘swing’ was derived from it – whence English oscillate.
=> oral[oscillate etymology, oscillate origin, 英语词源]
oscillate (v.): 1726, back-formation from oscillation, or else from Latin oscillatus, past participle of oscillare (see oscillation). From 1917 in electronics. Related: Oscillated; oscillating.
oscillation (n.): 1650s, from French oscillation, from Latin oscillationem (nominative oscillatio), noun of action from past participle stem of oscillare "to swing," supposed to be from oscillum "little face," literally "little mouth," a mask of open-mouthed Bacchus hung up in vineyards as a charm (the sense evolution would be via the notion of "swing in the breeze"); from PIE *os- "mouth" (see oral).
oscillator (n.): agent noun in Latin form from oscillate; 1835 of persons, 1889 in reference to electric currents.