phlegm的词源

英文词源

phlegm

phlegm: [14] Greek phlégma denoted ‘bodily fluid produced by inflammation’ (it was a derivative of phlégein ‘burn’, which went back to the same Indo-European base as produced English flagrant, flame, fulminate, and phlox [18] – in Greek literally ‘flame’). As Latin phlegma it came to be used for ‘body fluid’ in general, and was incorporated into the medieval system of bodily humours as a term for the ‘cold moist humour’, which induced sluggishness (whence the meaning of the derivative phlegmatic [16]).

This came to be associated in the late Middle Ages with ‘mucus, particularly as produced in the respiratory passage’. English acquired the word via Old French fleume as fleume, and did not revert to the latinate form until the 16th century.
=> flagrant, flame, fulminate, phlox

phlegm (n.)

late 14c., fleem "viscid mucus" (the stuff itself and also regarded as a bodily humor), from Old French fleume (13c., Modern French flegme), from Late Latin phlegma, one of the four humors of the body, from Greek phlegma "humor caused by heat," lit "inflammation, heat," from phlegein "to burn," related to phlox (genitive phlogos) "flame, blaze," from PIE *bhleg- "to shine, flash," from root *bhel- (1) "to shine, flash, burn" (see bleach (v.)). Modern form is attested from c. 1660. The "cold, moist" humor of the body, in medieval physiology, it was believed to cause apathy.

中文词源

phlegm：痰，冷淡，迟钝，冷静，镇定

来自拉丁语phlegma,痰，黏液（古医学体液理论构成人体的血液，黏液，胆汁，黑胆汁四种体液之一），来自希腊语phlegma,发热，由体热所致的多痰症，来自phlegein,燃烧，发热，来自PIE*bhel,照耀，燃烧，词源同blaze,bleach.后在中世纪医学理论认为体内多痰会致人冷淡，迟钝，但是，被误解为冷淡是冷静，镇定的表现，因此，产生模糊和矛盾的词义。

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

phlegm（粘液）：导致人性情冷淡的粘液

根据四体液学说，体内粘液占比较高的人性情冷淡、反应迟钝。因此，英语单词phlegm（粘液）的形容词phlegmatic就产生了“冷淡的、迟钝的”等含义。

phlegm：[flem] n. 痰；粘液

phlegmatic：[fleg'mætɪk] adj. 冷淡的；迟钝的；冷漠的

phlegmy：['flɛmi] adj. 痰的；生痰的；含痰的