英语词源字典 - 在线词源网站

ATV (n.)[ATV 词源字典]: acronym of all-terrain vehicle, 1969.[ATV etymology, ATV origin, 英语词源]
atween (adv.): c. 1400, from a- (1) + tween.
atwitter (adv.): 1833, from a- (1) + twitter.
atypical (adj.): 1847, from a- (2) "not" + typical. Related: Atypically.
Au: chemical symbol for "gold," from Latin aurum "gold" (see aureate).
au: French, "at the, to the," from Old French al, contraction of a le, with -l- softened to -u-, as also poudre from pulverem, chaud from calidus, etc. Used in many expressions in cookery, etc., which have crossed the Channel since 18c., such as au contraire, literally "on the contrary;" au gratin, literally "with scrapings;" au jus, literally "with the juice."
au courant (adj.): "aware of current events," 1762, French, literally "with the current" (see current (n.)).
au fait (adj.): 1743, French, "to the point, to the matter under discussion," literally "to the fact," from fait "fact" (see feat). Used in French with sense of "acquainted with the facts."
au naturel (adj.): 1817, French, literally "in the natural state;" originally meaning "uncooked," but used euphemistically for "undressed." See natural (adj.).
au pair (n.): 1897 of the arrangement, 1960 of the girl; French, literally "on an equal footing" (see pair (n.)).
au revoir: 1690s, French, literally "to the seeing again." From revoir (12c.), from Latin revidere.
aubade (n.): "musical announcement of dawn," from French aubade (15c.), from Provençal aubada, from auba "dawn," from Latin alba, fem. of albus "white" (see alb).
aubain (n.): 1727, from French aubaine (12c.), which is of unknown origin, perhaps from Medieval Latin Albanus, but the sense is obscure. Klein suggests Frankish *alibanus, literally "belonging to another ban." A right of French kings, whereby they claimed the property of every non-naturalized stranger who died in their realm. Abolished 1819.
aubergine (n.): "eggplant," 1794, from French aubergine, "fruit of the eggplant" (Solanum esculentum), diminutive of auberge "a kind of peach," variant of alberge, from Spanish alberchigo "apricot" [OED]. Klein derives the French word from Catalan alberginera, from Arabic al-badinjan "the eggplant," from Persian badin-gan, from Sanskrit vatigagama. As a color like that of the eggplant fruit, it is attested from 1895.
Aubrey: masc. personal name, from Old French Auberi, from Old High German Alberich "ruler of elves," or *Alb(e)rada "elf-counsel" (fem.). In U.S., it began to be used as a girl's name c. 1973 and was among the top 100 given names for girls born 2006-2008, eclipsing its use for boys, which faded in proportion.
auburn (n.): early 15c., from Old French auborne, from Medieval Latin alburnus "off-white, whitish," from Latin albus "white" (see alb). It came to English meaning "yellowish-white, flaxen," but shifted 16c. to "reddish-brown" under influence of Middle English brun "brown," which also changed the spelling.
auction (n.): "a sale by increase of bids," 1590s, from Latin auctionem (nominative auctio) "an increasing sale, auction, public sale," noun of action from past participle stem of augere "to increase," from PIE root *aug- (1) "to increase" (see augment). In northern England and Scotland, called a roup. In the U.S., something is sold at auction; in England, by auction.
auction (v.): 1807, from auction (n.). Related: Auctioned; auctioning.
auctioneer: 1708 as a noun; 1733 as a verb; see auction + -eer.
audacious (adj.): 1540s, "confident, intrepid," from Middle French audacieux, from audace "boldness," from Latin audacia "daring, boldness, courage," from audax "brave, bold, daring," but more often "bold" in a bad sense, "audacious, rash, foolhardy," from audere "to dare, be bold." Bad sense of "shameless" is attested from 1590s in English. Related: Audaciously.