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circumstance [circumstance 词源字典]: circumstance: see statue
[circumstance etymology, circumstance origin, 英语词源]
circum-: word-forming element meaning "around, all around, on all sides," from Latin circum- a common element in word-formation, from adverb and preposition circum "around, round about," literally "in a circle," probably accusative form of circus "ring" (see circus). In French, the element became circon-; Kitchin points out that con for cum is common even in classical Latin.
circumambient (adj.): 1630s, from circum- + ambient.
circumambulate (v.): 1650s, from Latin circumambulatus, past participle of circumambulare "to walk around," from circum "around" (see circum-) + ambulare "to walk" (see amble). Related: Circumambulated; circumambulating; circumambulation.
circumcise (v.): mid-13c., "to cut off the foreskin," from Old French circoncisier "circumcise" (12c., Modern French circoncire), from Latin circumcisus, past participle of circumcidere "to cut round, to cut trim, to cut off" (see circumcision). Related: Circumcised; circumcising.
circumcision (n.): late 12c., from Latin circumcisionem (nominative circumcisio), noun of action from past participle stem of circumcidere "to cut around; cut, clip, trim," from circum "around" (see circum-) + caedere "to cut" (see -cide).
circumduction (n.): 1570s, from Latin circumductionem (nominative circumductio), noun of action from past participle stem of circumducere "to lead around, move or drive around," from circum "around" (see circum-) + ducere "to lead" (see duke (n.)). Related: Circumduce.
circumference (n.): late 14c., from Latin circumferentia, neuter plural of circumferens, present participle of circumferre "to lead around, take around, carry around," from circum "around" (see circum-) + ferre "to carry" (see infer). A loan-translation of Greek periphereia "periphery, the line round a circular body," literally "a carrying round" (see periphery). Related: Circumferential.
circumflex (n.): 1570s, from Latin (accentus) circumflexus, "bent around," past participle of circumflectere "to bend around," of a charioteer, "turn around" (from circum "around;" see circum-, + flectere "to bend;" see flexible); used as a loan-translation of Greek (prosodia) perispomenos (Dionysius of Halicarnassus), literally "drawn-around," with reference to shape.
circumfluent (adj.): 1570s, from Latin circumfluentem (nominative circumfluens), present participle of circumfluere "to flow around," from circum- (see circum-) + fluere (see fluent).
circumjacent (adj.): late 15c., from Latin circumiacens, present participle of circumiacere "to border upon, to lie round about, enjoin," from circum- "around" (see circum-) + iacere "to throw, cast, hurl" (see jet (v.)). Related: Circumjacence; circumjacency.
circumlocution (n.): c. 1400, from Latin circumlocutionem (nominative circumlocutio) "a speaking around" (the topic), from circum- "around" (see circum-) + locutionem (nominative locutio) "a speaking," noun of action from past participle stem of loqui "to speak" (see locution). A loan-translation of Greek periphrasis (see periphrasis).
circumnavigate (v.): 1630s, from Latin circumnavigatus, past participle of circumnavigare "to sail round," from circum "around" (see circum-) + navigare (see navigation). Related: Circumnavigated; circumnavigating; circumnavigable.
circumnavigation (n.): 1705, from circumnavigate + -ion.
circumpolar (adj.): 1680s in astronomy; 1690s in geography, from circum- + polar.
circumscribe (v.): late 14c., from Latin circumscribere "to make a circle around, encircle, draw a line around; limit, restrain, confine, set the boundaries of," from circum- "around" (see circum-) + scribere "write" (see script (n.)). Related: Circumscribed; circumscribing.
circumscription (n.): 1530s, from Latin circumscriptionem (nominative circumscriptio) "an encircling; fact of being held to set limits," noun of action from past participle stem of circumscribere (see circumscribe). Figurative sense of "setting limits of meaning" is earliest in English.
circumspect (adj.): early 15c., from Latin circumspectus "deliberate, guarded, well-considered," past participle of circumspicere "look around, take heed," from circum- "around" (see circum-) + specere "to look" (see scope (n.1)). Related: Circumspectly; circumspectness.
circumspection (n.): late 14c., "careful observation of one's surroundings," from Old French circumspection (Modern French circonspection), from Latin circumspectionem (nominative circumspectio) "a looking around; foresight, caution," noun of action from past participle stem of circumspicere "to look around" (see circumspect).
circumstance (n.): early 13c., "conditions surrounding and accompanying an event," from Old French circonstance "circumstance, situation," also literally, "outskirts" (13c., Modern French circonstance), from Latin circumstantia "surrounding condition," neuter plural of circumstans (genitive circumstantis), present participle of circumstare "stand around, surround, encompass, occupy, take possession of" from circum "around" (see circum-) + stare "to stand" from PIE root *sta- "to stand" (see stet). The Latin word is a loan-translation of Greek peristasis.

Meaning "a person's surroundings, environment" is from mid-14c. Meaning "a detail" is from c. 1300; sense of "that which is non-essential" is from 1590s. Obsolete sense of "formality about an important event" (late 14c.) lingers in Shakespeare's phrase pomp and circumstance ("Othello" III, iii).
circumstances (n.): "condition of life, material welfare" (usually with a qualifying adjective), 1704, from circumstance.
circumstantial (adj.): c. 1600, from Latin circumstantia (see circumstance) + -al (1). Related: Circumstantially. Circumstantial evidence is attested by 1691.
circumstantiate (v.): 1650s, from Latin circumstantia "surrounding condition" (see circumstance) + -ate (2). Related: Circumstantiated; circumstantiating; circumstantiation.
circumvent (v.): mid-15c., "to surround by hostile stratagem," from Latin circumventus, past participle of circumvenire "to get around, be around, encircle, surround," in figurative sense "to oppress, assail, cheat," from circum "around" (see circum-) + venire "to come" (see venue). Meaning "to go round" is from 1840. Related: Circumvented; circumventing.
circumvention (n.): early 15c., from Latin circumventionem (nominative circumventio), noun of action from past participle stem of circumvenire "to get around" (see circumvent).
circumvolution (n.): mid-15c., noun of action from past participle stem of Latin circumvolvere "to revolve through, to roll around" (see circumvolve).
circumvolve (v.): 1640s, from Latin circumvolvere "to roll round, revolve," from circum- (see circum-) + volvere "to turn around, roll" (see volvox). Related: Circumvolved; circumvolving.
uncircumcised (adj.): late 14c., from un- (1) "not" + past participle of circumcise (v.).
circumfuse: "Pour (a liquid) so as to cause it to surround something", Late 16th century: from Latin circumfus- 'poured around', from the verb circumfundere, from circum 'around' + fundere 'pour'.
circumvallate: "Surround with or as if with a rampart", Mid 17th century (as an adjective): from Latin circumvallat- 'surrounded with a rampart', from the verb circumvallare, from circum 'around' + vallare, from vallum 'rampart'. The verb dates from the early 19th century.