英语词源字典 - 在线词源网站

mortise (v.)[mortise 词源字典]: mid-15c., from mortise (n.). Related: Mortised; mortising. [mortise etymology, mortise origin, 英语词源]
mortmain (n.): "inalienable ownership," mid-15c., from Anglo-French morte mayn, Old French mortemain, literally "dead hand," from Medieval Latin mortua manus; see mortal (adj.) + manual (adj.). Probably a metaphorical expression.
Morton: surname, from the many Mortons on the map of England, literally "moor or marsh settlement." Morton's Fork (1759) is in reference to John Morton (c. 1420-1500), archbishop of Canterbury, who levied forced loans under Henry VII by arguing the obviously rich could afford to pay and the obviously poor clearly were living frugally and thus had savings and could pay, too.
mortuary (n.): early 14c., from Anglo-French mortuarie "gift to a parish priest from a deceased parishioner," from Medieval Latin mortuarium, noun use of neuter of Late Latin adjective mortuarius "pertaining to the dead," from Latin mortuus, past participle of mori "to die" (see mortal (adj.)). Meaning "place where bodies are kept temporarily" first recorded 1865, a euphemism for earlier deadhouse.
mortuary (adj.): 1510s, "pertaining to death," from Late Latin mortuarius "of the dead," from Latin mortuus "dead" (see mortuary (n.)).
Morus (n.): genus of mulberry trees, from Latin morus "mulberry tree."
mosaic (n.): c. 1400, from Old French mosaicq "mosaic work," from Italian mosaico, from Medieval Latin musaicum "mosaic work, work of the Muses," noun use of neuter of musaicus "of the Muses," from Latin Musa (see muse). Medieval mosaics were often dedicated to the Muses. The word formed in Medieval Latin as though from Greek, but the (late) Greek word for "mosaic work" was mouseion (Klein says this sense was borrowed from Latin). Figurative use is from 1640s. As an adjective in English from 1580s. Related: Mosaicist.
Mosaic (adj.): "pertaining to Moses," 1660s (earlier Mosaical, 1560s), from Modern Latin Mosaicus, from Moses.
mosasaurus (n.): marine dinosaur, 1830, from Latin Mosa "the river Meuse" + -saurus. the fossils of the ancient reptile were first discovered 1780 near Maastricht, on the Meuse.
Moscow: Russian capital, named for Moskva River, of unknown origin. Moscow mule, vodka cocktail, attested from 1950.
Moselle: river in Western Europe, Latin Mosella, literally "Little Meuse," in reference to the longer River Meuse (Latin Mosa), into which it flows. From 1680s as "wine from the valley of the river Moselle.
Moses: masc. proper name, name of Hebrew prophet and lawgiver, from Latin, from Greek Mouses, from Hebrew Mosheh, of unknown origin.
Most scholars see in it the Hebraization of Egyptian mes, mesu 'child, son,' which is often used in theophorous names. According to this derivation the words of Pharaoh's daughter in Ex. 2:10, 'For out of the water I drew him' are not the explanation of the Hebrew name Mosheh, but express the idea that the Egyptian name given by Pharaoh's daughter resembles in sound, and therefore, reminds us of, the Hebrew verb mashah 'he drew out,' which is suggestive of the words spoken by Pharaoh's daughter. [Dr. Ernest Klein, "A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the English Language"]
As an expletive or oath, 1840.
mosey (v.): 1829, American English slang, of unknown origin, perhaps related to British dialectal mose about "go around in a dull, stupid way." Or perhaps from Spanish vamos (see vamoose). Related: Moseyed; moseying.
mosh (v.): "to dance (with a certain amount of violence) to metal music in a tightly packed arena," 1987, perhaps a variant of mash. Related: Mosh pit.
Moslem: see Muslim.
mosque (n.): 1717, earlier moseak (c. 1400), also mosquee (16c.), probably in part from Middle French mosquée, from Italian moschea, earlier moscheta, from Spanish mesquita (modern mezquita), from Arabic masjid "temple, place of worship," from sajada "he worshipped" + prefix ma- denoting "place." Mangled in Middle English as muskey, moseache, etc.
mosquito (n.): 1580s, from Spanish mosquito "little gnat," diminutive of mosca "fly," from Latin musca "fly," from PIE root *mu- "gnat, fly," imitative of insect buzzing (compare Sanskrit maksa-, Greek myia, Old English mycg, Modern English midge, Old Church Slavonic mucha), perhaps imitative of the sound of humming insects.
moss (n.): Old English meos "moss," related to mos "bog," from Proto-Germanic *musan (cognates: Old High German mios, Danish mos, German Moos), also in part from Old Norse mosi "moss, bog," and Medieval Latin mossa "moss," from the same Germanic source, from PIE *meus- "damp," with derivatives referring to swamps and swamp vegetation (cognates: Latin muscus "moss," Lithuanian musai "mold, mildew," Old Church Slavonic muchu "moss").
Selden Moseþ þe Marbelston þat men ofte treden. ["Piers Plowman," 1362]
All the Germanic languages have the word in both senses, which is natural because moss is the characteristic plant of boggy places. It is impossible to say which sense is original. Scott (1805) revived 17c. moss-trooper "freebooter infesting Scottish border marshes."
mossback (n.): "conservative," 1874, especially of poor whites from Carolina, originally (1872) in reference to those who hid out to avoid service in the Confederate army (and would have stayed out till the moss grew on their backs); from moss + back (n.).
mossy (adj.): 1560s, from moss + -y (2).