energy: [16] Energy comes ultimately from Greek érgon ‘deed, work’. This was a descendant of Indo-European *wergon, which also produced English work, liturgy, organ, and orgy. Addition of the prefix en- ‘at’ produced the adjective energés or energōs ‘at work’, hence ‘active’, which Aristotle used in his Rhetoric as the basis of a noun enérgeia, signifying a metaphor which conjured up an image of something moving or being active. This later came to mean ‘forceful expression’, or more broadly still ‘activity, operation’. English acquired the word via late Latin energīa. => liturgy, organ, orgy, work
energy (n.)
1590s, "force of expression," from Middle French énergie (16c.), from Late Latin energia, from Greek energeia "activity, action, operation," from energos "active, working," from en "at" (see en- (2)) + ergon "work, that which is wrought; business; action" (see organ).
Used by Aristotle with a sense of "actuality, reality, existence" (opposed to "potential") but this was misunderstood in Late Latin and afterward as "force of expression," as the power which calls up realistic mental pictures. Broader meaning of "power" in English is first recorded 1660s. Scientific use is from 1807. Energy crisis first attested 1970.
双语例句
1. At 54 years old her energy and looks are magnificent.
她54岁了，精力和气色都非常好。
来自柯林斯例句
2. Revenues from "green taxes" could then be channelled back into energy efficiency.
从“绿色税收”得来的收入便可回过头来用于提高能效。
来自柯林斯例句
3. Brazil says its constitution forbids the private ownership of energy assets.
巴西称其宪法禁止个人占有能源资产。
来自柯林斯例句
4. He told Americans that solving the energy problem was very important.
他告诉美国人解决能源问题非常重要。
来自柯林斯例句
5. We couldn't even summon up the energy to open the envelope.
