英文词源
- alms
- alms: [OE] The word alms has become much reduced in its passage through time from its ultimate Greek source, eleēmosúnē ‘pity, alms’. This was borrowed into post-classical (Christian) Latin as eleēmosyna, which subsequently became simplified in Vulgar Latin to *alimosina (source of the word for ‘alms’ in many Romance languages, such as French aumône and Italian limosina).
At this stage Germanic borrowed it, and in due course dispersed it (German almosen, Dutch aalmoes). It entered Old English as ælmesse, which became reduced in Middle English to almes and finally by the 17th century to alms (which because of its -s had come to be regarded as a plural noun). The original Greek eleēmosúnē is itself a derivative, of the adjective eleémōn ‘compassionate’, which in turn came from the noun éleos ‘pity’.
From medieval Latin eleēmosyna was derived the adjective eleēmosynarius (borrowed into English in the 17th century as the almost unpronounceable eleemosynary ‘giving alms’). Used as a noun, this passed into Old French as a(u)lmonier, and eventually, in the 13th century, became English aumoner ‘giver of alms’. The modern sense of almoner as a hospital social worker did not develop until the end of the 19th century.
=> almoner, eleemosynary - alms (n.)
- Old English ælmesse "alms, almsgiving," from Proto-Germanic *alemosna (cognates: Old Saxon alamosna, Old High German alamuosan, Old Norse ölmusa), an early borrowing of Vulgar Latin *alemosyna (source of Old Spanish almosna, Old French almosne, Italian limosina), from Church Latin eleemosyna (Tertullian, 3c.), from Greek eleemosyne "pity, mercy," in Ecclesiastical Greek "charity, alms," from eleemon "compassionate," from eleos "pity, mercy," which is of unknown origin, perhaps imitative of cries for alms. Spelling perversion in Vulgar Latin is perhaps by influence of alimonia.
实用例句
- 1. Alms were distributed to those in need.
- 救济品被分发给困难人群。
来自柯林斯例句
- 2. It was their religious duty to give alms to the poor.
- 施舍穷人是他们的宗教义务.
来自《简明英汉词典》
- 3. The Chinese Government never regards aid to other countries as a kind of unilateral alms but as sth. mutual.
- 中国政府从来不把对外援助看作是单方面的恩赐,而认为援助是相互的.
来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
- 4. The Moslems must give alms generously and provide for the poor.
- 穆斯林必须慷慨施舍帮助穷人.
来自英汉非文学 - 文明史
- 5. He seldom passed a beggar without offering alms.
- 他在一个要饭的面前,很少不布施一点钱.
来自辞典例句
