peculiar的词源

英文词源

peculiar

peculiar: [15] The etymological notion underlying peculiar is of ‘not being shared with others’, of being ‘one’s own alone’. It was borrowed from Latin pecūliāris ‘of private property’, a derivative of pecūlium ‘private property’, which in turn was based on pecus ‘cattle’, hence ‘wealth’ (source also of English pecuniary [16]). (A parallel semantic progression from ‘cattle’ to ‘property’ is shown in English fee.) The development of the adjective’s meaning from ‘belonging to oneself alone’ through ‘inpidual’ to ‘extraordinary, strange’ took place in Latin. Peculate ‘pilfer, embezzle’ [18] also comes ultimately from Latin pecūlium.
=> pecuniary

peculiar (adj.)

mid-15c., "belonging exclusively to one person," from Latin peculiaris "of one's own (property)," from peculium "private property," literally "property in cattle" (in ancient times the most important form of property), from pecu "cattle, flock," related to pecus "cattle" (see pecuniary). Meaning "unusual" is first attested c. 1600 (earlier "distinguished, special," 1580s; for sense development, compare idiom). Related: Peculiarly.

中文词源

peculiar（特殊的）：以牛为形式的私人财产

在古代，牛是重要的牲畜，也是家庭中最主要的私人财产。在拉丁语中，pecu表示“牛”，由此产生了peculium（私人财产），本意就是“以牛为形式的私人财产”。英语单词peculiar就来自拉丁语peculium，初始含义就是“专属于某人的，独有的”。与此同源的单词有peculate（盗用、挪用），初始含义就是“据为己有”。

peculiar：[pɪ'kjuːlɪə] adj.特殊的，独特的，奇怪的n.特权，专有财产

peculate：['pekjʊleɪt] v.盗用，挪用（公款）

peculation：[,pɛkjʊ'leʃən] n.贪污，挪用公款，侵吞公款

该词的英语词源请访问趣词词源英文版：peculiar 词源，peculiar 含义。

peculiar：怪异的，奇怪的

来自拉丁语peculium,私人财产，私人钱财，私人牛羊等，来自pecus,家畜，牛，羊，词源同fee,pecuniary.其原义为私人所有的，个人的，后引申词义与他人不同的，怪异的，奇怪的。词义演变比较idiom,idiot,idiosyncrasy.