英语词源字典 - 在线词源网站

form (v.)[form 词源字典]: c. 1300, formen, fourmen, "create, give life to, give shape or structure to; make, build, construct, devise," from Old French fourmer "formulate, express; draft, create, shape, mold" (12c.) and directly from Latin formare "to shape, fashion, build," also figurative, from forma "form, contour, figure, shape" (see form (n.)). From late 14c. as "go to make up, be a constituent part of;" intransitive sense "take form, come into form" is from 1722. Related: Formed; forming.[form etymology, form origin, 英语词源]
formable (adj.): late 14c., from form (v.) + -able, or from Late Latin formabilis.
formal (adj.): late 14c., "pertaining to form or arrangement;" also, in philosophy and theology, "pertaining to the form or essence of a thing," from Old French formal, formel "formal, constituent" (13c.) and directly from Latin formalis, from forma "a form, figure, shape" (see form (n.)). From early 15c. as "in due or proper form, according to recognized form," As a noun, c. 1600 (plural) "things that are formal;" as a short way to say formal dance, recorded by 1906 among U.S. college students.
formaldehyde (n.): pungent gas formed by oxidation of methyl alcohol, 1869, a contraction of formic aldehyde; see formic + aldehyde. Discovered in 1863 by German chemist August Wilhelm von Hofmann (1818-1892).
formalism (n.): 1840, "strict adherence to prescribed forms," from formal + -ism. Used over the years in philosophy, theology, literature, and art in various senses suggesting detachment of form from content, or spirituality, or meaning; or belief in the sufficiency of formal logic. Related: Formalist.
formalistic (adj.): 1846; see formalism + -istic.
formality (n.): 1530s, "agreement as to form," from formal + -ity or else from Middle French formalité (15c.) or Latin formitalitatem. Sense of "conformity to established rule" is from 1590s; meaning "something done for the sake of form" is from 1640s. Related: Formalities.
formalize (v.): 1590s, "give an appearance of being to," from formal + -ize. Meaning reduce to form" is from 1640s; sense of "render formal" is from 1855. Related: Formalized; formalizing.
formally (adv.): late 14c., "in good form, in an orderly manner," also "by kind," from formal + -ly (2). Meaning "in prescribed or customary form" is from 1560s.
format (v.): "arrange into a format," 1964, in reference to electronic computing, from format (n.). Related: Formatted; formatting.
format (n.): 1840, "shape and size" (of a book), via French format (18c.), ultimately from Modern Latin liber formatus "a book formed" in a certain shape and size, from past participle of formare "to form," from forma (see form (n.)). Extended to computers by 1955.
formation (n.): late 14c., "vital force in plants and animals;" early 15c., "act of creating or making," from Old French formacion "formation, fashioning, creation" (12c.) or directly from Latin formationem (nominative formatio) "a forming, shaping," noun of action or condition from past participle stem of formare "to form," from forma (see form (n.)). Meaning that which is formed or created" is from 1640s. In geology, "group of rocks having a similar origin or character," 1815. Related: Formational.
formative (adj.): late 15c., from Middle French formatif, from Latin format-, past participle stem of formare "to form," from forma (see form (n.)). As a noun, in grammar, from 1816.
former (adj.): "earlier in time," mid-12c., comparative of forme "first, earliest in time or order," from Old English forma "first," from Proto-Germanic *fruma-, *furma-, from PIE *pre-mo-, suffixed (superlative) form of root *per- (1) "forward, through; before; first" (see per). Probably patterned on formest (see foremost); it is an unusual case of a comparative formed from a superlative (the Old English -m is a superlative suffix). As "first of two," 1580s.
former (n.): "one who gives form," mid-14c., agent noun from form (v.). The Latin agent noun was formator.
formerly (adv.): "in times past," 1580s, from former (adj.) + -ly (2). A Middle English word for this was andersith "formerly, at former times" (early 14c.).
formic (adj.): 1791 (in formic acid), literally "from ants," coined from Latin formica "ant" (see Formica (n.2)). The acid first was obtained in a fairly pure form in 1749 by German chemist Andreas Sigismund Marggraf (1709-1782), who prepared it by distilling red ants. It also is found in nettles and bee stings.
Formica (1): proprietary name (1922) of a product manufactured originally by Formica Insulation Co. of Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. (founded 1913). According to the company, the material (originally marketed as an industrial insulator) was so called because it could be used for mica, i.e., in place of mica, a more expensive natural insulator. Primarily used in consumer goods since c. 1945.
Formica (2): ant genus, 1843, from Latin formica "an ant," dissimilated from PIE *morwi- "ant" (cognates: Sanskrit vamrah "ant," Greek myrmex, Old Church Slavonic mraviji, Old Irish moirb, Old Norse maurr, Welsh myrion; and compare second element in pismire).
formicant (adj.): "crawling like an ant," 1707, from Latin formicantem (nominative formicans), present participle of formicare (see formication).