大家都知道雏菊的英文名是DAISY,但你知道它的含义吗?Daisy来自于古英语短语dgesege,表示“日之眼”。因为雏菊黎明花开,黄昏花谢,好像生长于天地之间的眼睛一样。不过,兰花的英文名就没有这么好听了,不仅不优雅,甚至名字还有点污。
1. CARNATION 康乃馨
CARNATION 康乃馨
There are two etymologies for carnation, a term found in English in the early 1500s. According to one, carnation may be a corruption of coronation, perhaps because the flower’s toothed petals resembled crowns or because the flowers were worn, crown-like, as garlands. The second etymology comes from the flower’s original color, and roots carnation in the Middle French carnation, “pink complexion,” from the Latin root caro, “flesh,” source of less delicate words like carnal and carnage.Carnation(康乃馨)在16世纪初期出现在英语中,关于carnation的词源有两种说法。其中一种说法认为,carnation可能是coronation(加冕礼)的变体,因为康乃馨的锯齿状花瓣好像皇冠,又或者是因为人们把这种花当花冠佩戴。第二种说法与康乃馨的原色有关,认为carnation这个名字来自中古法语carnation(粉红的气色),这个单词的拉丁语词根是caro(肉欲),与carnal(肉欲的)、carnage(大屠*)等不太好听的单词词根相同。
2. CHRYSANTHEMUM 菊花
CHRYSANTHEMUM 菊花
The word chrysanthemum, emerging in English in the late 1500s, comes from the Greek krysanthemon, meaning “gold flower.” The first component, krysos (“gold”), shows up in the biological term chrysalis. The second, anthos (“flower”), appears in anthology, literally “a collection of flowers,” first used for a compilation of small poems in the early 1600s.Chrysanthemum在16世纪末期传入英语,这个单词源于希腊语krysanthemon(金色的花朵)。第一个组成部分krysos意为“金色的”,是形容蝶蛹的生物学术语。Anthos表示“花朵”,它也是anthology的词根。Anthology意为 “鲜花大全”,在17世纪初期时,这个单词用来表示短诗集。
3. DAISY 雏菊
DAISY 雏菊
The word daisy has deep roots in the English language. As attested to in some of English’s earliest records, daisy comes from the Old English phrase dgesege: the “day’s eye,” as the flower’s white petals close at dusk and open at dawn, like the eye of the day as it sleeps and wakes.Daisy是一个地地道道的英语单词。根据一些英语相关的早期记载,Daisy来自于古英语短语dgesege,意思是“日之眼”。白色的雏菊黎明花开,黄昏花谢,就像是每一天的眼睛一样睡去醒来。
4. ANEMONE 银莲花