measles: [14] Measles means literally ‘spots, blemishes’. The word was originally borrowed from Middle Dutch māsel ‘blemish’, which went back to a prehistoric Germanic base *mas- ‘spot, blemish, excrescence’. The earliest English form of the word was thus maseles, and the change to measles (which began in the 14th century) may have been due to association with the now obsolete mesel ‘leper’, a descendant of Latin miser ‘wretched, unfortunate’ (source of English misery).
measles (n.)
infectious disease, early 14c., plural of Middle English masel, perhaps from Middle Dutch masel "blemish" (in plural "measles") or Middle Low German masele, from Proto-Germanic *mas- "spot, blemish" (cognates: Old High German masla "blood-blister," German Masern "measles").
There might have been an Old English cognate, but if so it has not been recorded. Form probably influenced by Middle English mesel "leprous" (late 13c.).
双语例句
1. She fell ill with measles.
她患麻疹病倒了。
来自柯林斯例句
2. When I was five I got measles.
我5岁时出过麻疹。
来自柯林斯例句
3. Adults are often immune to German measles.
成人往往对风疹有免疫力。
来自《权威词典》
4. The doctor told her to watch out for symptoms of measles.
医生叫她注意麻疹出现的症状.
来自《简明英汉词典》
5. The doctor is quite definite about Tom having measles.