英语词源字典 - 在线词源网站

tyranny (n.)[tyranny 词源字典]: late 14c., "cruel or unjust use of power; the government of a tyrant," from Old French tyranie (13c.), from Late Latin tyrannia "tyranny," from Greek tyrannia "rule of a tyrant, absolute power," from tyrannos "master" (see tyrant).[tyranny etymology, tyranny origin, 英语词源]
tyrant (n.): c. 1300, "absolute ruler," especially one without legal right; "cruel, oppressive ruler," from Old French tiran, tyrant (12c.), from Latin tyrannus "lord, master, monarch, despot," especially "arbitrary ruler, cruel governor, autocrat" (source also of Spanish tirano, Italian tiranno), from Greek tyrannos "lord, master, sovereign, absolute ruler unlimited by law or constitution," a loan-word from a language of Asia Minor (probably Lydian); Klein compares Etruscan Turan "mistress, lady" (surname of Venus).
In the exact sense, a tyrant is an individual who arrogates to himself the royal authority without having a right to it. This is how the Greeks understood the word 'tyrant': they applied it indifferently to good and bad princes whose authority was not legitimate. [Rousseau, "The Social Contract"]
Originally in Greek the word was not applied to old hereditary sovereignties (basileiai) and despotic kings, but it was used of usurpers, even when popular, moderate, and just (such as Cypselus of Corinth), however it soon became a word of reproach in the usual modern sense. The spelling with -t arose in Old French by analogy with present participle endings in -ant. Fem. form tyranness is recorded from 1590 (Spenser); Medieval Latin had tyrannissa (late 14c.).
tyre (n.): variant spelling of tire (n.), chiefly British English.
Tyrian (adj.): 1510s, from Latin Tyrius "of Tyre," (Latin Tyrus), island-city in the Levant, from Greek Tyros, from Hebrew/Phoenician tzor, literally "rock, rocky place." Especially in reference to Tyrian purple, a dye chemically similar to indigo, made there in ancient times from certain mollusks (Murex brandaris).
tyro (n.): 1610s, from Medieval Latin tyro, variant of Latin tiro (plural tirones) "young soldier, recruit, beginner," of unknown origin.
Tyrol: German Tirol, ultimately from Celtic tir "land" (see Tyrone). Related: Tyrolean.
Tyrone: Irish county, from Irish Tir Eoghain "Eoghan's Land," from Eoghan "Owen," ancestor of the O'Neills, who owned land here. Tir also forms the final syllable in Leinster, Munster, Ulster.
tyrosine (n.): white, crystalline amino acid, 1857, coined 1846 by German chemist Justus von Liebig (1803-1873), who had first obtained it a year before from the products of a fusion of old cheese and potash, from Greek tyros "cheese" (from PIE *tu-ro-, from *teue- (2) "to swell" (see thigh) on the notion of "a swelling, coagulating") + chemical suffix -ine (2).
Tyrrhenian (adj.): 1650s, "pertaining to the Etruscans," from Latin Tyrrheni, from Greek Tyrrenoi "Tyrrhenians," from tyrsis "tower, walled city" (cognate with Latin turris "tower"). Earlier Tyrrhene (late 14c.).
thill: "A shaft, especially one of a pair, used to attach a cart or carriage to the animal drawing it", Middle English: of unknown origin.
taeniodont: "A primitive fossil herbivorous mammal from the Palaeocene and Eocene of North America, with deep powerful jaws and short stout limbs", 1930s: from modern Latin Taeniodontia (order name), from Greek tainia 'band, ribbon' + odous, odont- 'tooth'.
theriac: "An ointment or other medicinal compound used as an antidote to snake venom or other poison", Late Middle English: from Latin theriaca (see treacle).
toponymy: "The study of place names", Late 19th century: from Greek topos 'place' + onuma 'name'.
tertian: "Denoting a form of malaria causing a fever that recurs every second day", Late Middle English (fever) terciane, from Latin (febris) tertiana, from tertius 'third' (the fever recurring every third day by inclusive reckoning).
theca: "A receptacle, sheath, or cell enclosing an organ, part, or structure, in particular", Early 17th century: via Latin from Greek thēkē 'case'.
tapis: "A tapestry or richly decorated cloth, used as a hanging or a covering", French, from Old French tapiz, via late Latin from Greek tapētion, diminutive of tapēs 'tapestry'.
trigon: "archaic term for triangle", Early 17th century (in the sense 'triangle'): via Latin from Greek trigōnon, neuter of trigōnos 'three-cornered'.
turbit: "A stoutly built pigeon of a domestic breed with a neck frill and short beak", Late 17th century: apparently from Latin turbo 'spinning top', from its shape.
theroid: "Resembling an animal; bestial", Mid 19th century: from Greek thēr 'beast' + -oid.
tetrode: "A thermionic valve having four electrodes", Early 20th century: from tetra- 'four' + Greek hodos 'way'.