英语词源字典 - 在线词源网站

digraph (n.)[digraph 词源字典]: 1788, in linguistics, from Greek di- "twice" (see di- (1)) + -graph "something written," from Greek graphe "writing," from graphein "to write, express by written characters," earlier "to draw, represent by lines drawn" (see -graphy). In mathematics, from 1955, a contraction of directed graph.[digraph etymology, digraph origin, 英语词源]
digress (v.): 1520s, from Latin digressus, past participle of digredi "to go aside, depart" (see digression), or perhaps a back-formation from digression. Related: Digressed; digressing.
digression (n.): late 14c., from Latin digressionem (nominative digressio) "a going away, departing," noun of action from past participle stem of digredi "to deviate," from dis- "apart, aside" (see dis-) + gradi "to step, go" (see grade (n.)).
digs (n.): "lodgings," slang attested from 1893, from dig.
dike (n.): Old English dic "trench, ditch; an earthwork with a trench; moat," from Proto-Germanic *dik- (cognates: Old Norse diki "ditch, fishpond," Old Frisian dik "mound, dam," Middle Dutch dijc "mound, dam, pool," Dutch dijk "dam," German Deich "embankment"), from PIE root *dhigw- "to pierce; to fix, fasten" (cognates: Sanskrit dehi- "wall," Old Persian dida "wall, stronghold, fortress," Persian diz).

At first "an excavation," later (late 15c.) applied to the resulting earth mound; a sense development paralleled by cognate forms in many other languages. This is the northern variant of the word that in the south of England yielded ditch (n.).
diktat (n.): 1933, from German Diktat "dictate."
dilapidate (v.): 1560s, "to bring a building to ruin," from Latin dilapidatus, past participle of dilapidare "to squander, waste," originally "to throw stones, scatter like stones;" see dilapidation. Perhaps the English word is a back-formation from dilapidation.
dilapidated (adj.): "in ruins, broken down," 1806, past participle adjective from dilapidate.
dilapidation (n.): early 15c., from Late Latin dilapidationem (nominative dilapidatio) "a squandering," noun of action from past participle stem of Latin dilapidare "throw away, squander, waste," literally "pelt with stones" (thus "ruin, destroy") or else "scatter like stones," from dis- "asunder" (see dis-) + lapidare "throw stones at," from lapis (genitive lapidis) "stone." "Taken in Eng. in a more literal sense than was usual in Latin" [OED].
dilatation (n.): c. 1400, from Old French dilatation, from Late Latin dilatationem (nominative dilatatio) "a widening," from past participle stem of Latin dilatare (see dilate).
dilate (v.): late 14c., from Old French dilater, from Late Latin dilatare "make wider, enlarge," from dis- "apart" (see dis-) + latus "wide" (see latitude). Related: Dilated; dilating.
dilation (n.): 1590s, formed from dilate on the mistaken assumption that the -ate in that word was the Latin verbal suffix (it is instead part of the stem); the proper form, dilatation, is older (c. 1400).
dilatory (adj.): late 15c., from Late Latin dilatorius, from dilator "procrastinator," from dilatus, serving as past participle of differe "delay" (see defer).
dildo (n.): 1590s, perhaps a corruption of Italian deletto "delight," from Latin dilectio, noun of action from diligere "to esteem highly, to love" (see diligence). Or (less likely) of English diddle. "Curse Eunuke dilldo, senceless counterfet" ["Choise of Valentines or the Merie Ballad of Nash his Dildo," T. Nashe, c. 1593] A classical Latin word for one was fascinum (see fascinate). In later English sometimes a French word, godemiche, was used (1879).
dilemma (n.): 1520s, from Late Latin dilemma, from Greek dilemma "double proposition," a technical term in rhetoric, from di- "two" + lemma "premise, anything received or taken," from root of lambanein "to take" (see analemma). It should be used only of situations where someone is forced to choose between two alternatives, both unfavorable to him. But even logicians disagree on whether certain situations are dilemmas or mere syllogisms.
dilettante (n.): 1733, borrowing of Italian dilettante "lover of music or painting," from dilettare "to delight," from Latin delectare (see delight (n.)). Originally without negative connotation, "devoted amateur," the pejorative sense emerged late 18c. by contrast with professional.
diligence (n.): mid-14c., from Old French diligence "attention, care; haste, speed," from Latin diligentia "attentiveness, carefulness," from diligentem (nominative diligens) "attentive, assiduous, careful," originally present participle of diligere "single out, value highly, esteem, prize, love; aspire to, be content with, appreciate," originally "to pick out, select," from dis- "apart" (see dis-) + legere "choose, gather" (see lecture (n.)).

Sense evolved from "love" through "attentiveness" to "carefulness" to "steady effort." From the secondary French sense comes the old useage of diligence for "public stage coach" (1742; dilly for short), from a French shortening of carrosse de diligence.
diligent (adj.): mid-14c., from Old French diligent (14c.), from Latin diligentem "attentive, assiduous" (see diligence). Related: Diligently.
dill (n.): Old English dile "dill, anise," a Proto-Germanic word of unknown origin (cognates: Old Saxon dilli, Middle Dutch and Dutch dille, Swedish dill, German Dill).
dilly (n.): "delightful or excellent person or thing" (often used ironically), 1935, American English, from an earlier adjective (1909), perhaps from the first syllable of delightful or delicious, or related to the nursery word for "duck." Dilly was also slang for a stagecoach (1818), from French carrosse de diligence (see diligence).