英语词源字典 - 在线词源网站

-athon [-athon 词源字典]: also -thon, word-forming element denoting prolonged activity and usually some measure of endurance, abstracted from marathon; for example walkathon (1931), skatathon (1933); talkathon (1948); telethon (1949). [-athon etymology, -athon origin, 英语词源]
caecum (n.): 1721, from Latin intestinum caecum "blind gut," from neuter of caecus "blind, hidden," from Proto-Italic *kaiko-, from PIE *kehi-ko- "one-eyed," cognate with Old Irish ca'ech "one-eyed," coeg "empty," Welsh coeg-dall, Old Cornish cuic "one-eyed;" Gothic haihs "one-eyed, blind." So called for being prolonged into a cul-de-sac.
coma (n.1): state of prolonged unconsciousness, 1640s, from Latinized form of Greek koma (genitive komatos) "deep sleep," which is of uncertain origin. A term for "coma" in Middle English was false sleep (late 14c.).
mad (adj.): late 13c., from Old English gemædde (plural) "out of one's mind" (usually implying also violent excitement), also "foolish, extremely stupid," earlier gemæded "rendered insane," past participle of a lost verb *gemædan "to make insane or foolish," from Proto-Germanic *ga-maid-jan, demonstrative form of *ga-maid-az "changed (for the worse), abnormal" (cognates: Old Saxon gimed "foolish," Old High German gimeit "foolish, vain, boastful," Gothic gamaiþs "crippled, wounded," Old Norse meiða "to hurt, maim"), from intensive prefix *ga- + PIE *moito-, past participle of root *mei- (1) "to change" (cognates: Latin mutare "to change," mutuus "done in exchange," migrare "to change one's place of residence;" see mutable).

Emerged in Middle English to replace the more usual Old English word, wod (see wood (adj.)). Sense of "beside oneself with excitement or enthusiasm" is from early 14c. Meaning "beside oneself with anger" is attested from early 14c., but deplored by Rev. John Witherspoon (1781) as an Americanism. It now competes in American English with angry for this sense. Of animals, "affected with rabies," from late 13c. Phrase mad as a March hare is attested from 1520s, via notion of breeding season; mad as a hatter is from 1829 as "demented," 1837 as "enraged," according to a modern theory supposedly from erratic behavior caused by prolonged exposure to poison mercuric nitrate, used in making felt hats. For mad as a wet hen see hen. Mad money is attested from 1922; mad scientist is from 1891.
moan (n.): c. 1200, "lamentation, mourning, weeping; complaining, the expressing of complaints; a complaint; lover's complaint; accusation, charge," probably from an unrecorded Old English *man "complaint," related to Old English mænan "complain, moan," also "tell, intend, signify" (see mean (v.1)); but OED discounts this connection. Meaning "long, low inarticulate murmur from some prolonged pain" is first recorded 1670s, "with onomatopoeic suggestion" [OED].
prolong (v.): early 15c., back-formation from prolongation or else from Old French prolonguer, porloignier (13c.), from Late Latin prolongare "to prolong, extend," from Latin pro- "forth" (see pro-) + longus "long" (adj.); see long (adj.). Related: Prolonged; prolonging; prolongable.
telethon (n.): prolonged TV fundraiser, 1949, from television + marathon (see -athon). Milton Berle's 16-hour television cancer fundraiser in April 1949 might have been the first to be so called.
think (v.): Old English þencan "imagine, conceive in the mind; consider, meditate, remember; intend, wish, desire" (past tense þohte, past participle geþoht), probably originally "cause to appear to oneself," from Proto-Germanic *thankjan (cognates: Old Frisian thinka, Old Saxon thenkian, Old High German denchen, German denken, Old Norse þekkja, Gothic þagkjan).

Old English þencan is the causative form of the distinct Old English verb þyncan "to seem, to appear" (past tense þuhte, past participle geþuht), from Proto-Germanic *thunkjan (cognates: German dünken, däuchte). Both are from PIE *tong- "to think, feel" which also is the root of thought and thank.

The two Old English words converged in Middle English and þyncan "to seem" was absorbed, except for its preservation in archaic methinks "it seems to me." As a noun, "act of prolonged thinking," from 1834. The figurative thinking cap is attested from 1839.
aargh: "Used as an expression of anguish, horror, rage, or other strong emotion, often with humorous intent", Late 18th century: lengthened form of ah, expressing a prolonged cry.
byssinosis: "A lung disease caused by prolonged inhalation of textile fibre dust", Late 19th century: from Latin byssinus 'made of byssus' (from Greek bussinos) + -osis.
talkathon: "A prolonged discussion or debate", 1930s (originally US, denoting a debate artificially prolonged to prevent the progress of a bill): blend of talk and marathon.