interest: [15] The Latin verb interesse meant literally ‘be between’ (it was a compound of inter ‘between’ and esse ‘be’). It was used metaphorically for ‘be of concern, be important, matter’, and appears to have been borrowed into Anglo-Norman as a noun, meaning ‘what one has a legal concern in or share of’. English took this over in the 14th century as interesse, but it gradually changed over the next hundred years or so into interest, mainly due to the influence of Old French interest ‘damage’, which came from the third person present singular form of the Latin verb.
The main modern sense ‘curiosity’ developed towards the end of the 18th century.
interest (n.)
mid-15c., "legal claim or right; concern; benefit, advantage;" earlier interesse (late 14c.), from Anglo-French interesse "what one has a legal concern in," from Medieval Latin interesse "compensation for loss," noun use of Latin interresse "to concern, make a difference, be of importance," literally "to be between," from inter- "between" (see inter-) + esse "to be" (see essence).
Compare German Interesse, from the same Medieval Latin source. Form in English influenced 15c. by French interest "damage," from Latin interest "it is of importance, it makes a difference," third person singular present of interresse. Financial sense of "money paid for the use of money lent" (1520s) earlier was distinguished from usury (illegal under Church law) by being in reference to "compensation due from a defaulting debtor." Meaning "curiosity" is first attested 1771. Interest group is attested from 1907; interest rate by 1868.
interest (v.)
"to cause to be interested," c. 1600, earlier interesse (1560s), from the noun (see interest (n.)). Perhaps also from or influenced by interess'd, past participle of interesse.
双语例句
1. We have the interest of 500,000 customers to think of.
我们得为50万名顾客的利益着想。
来自柯林斯例句
2. Hopes of an early cut in interest rates bolstered confidence.
利率有望早日下调，从而增强了人们的信心。
来自柯林斯例句
3. Interest rates would come down as the recovery gathered pace.
随着复苏的加速，利率会降下来。
来自柯林斯例句
4. The government was right to maintain interest rates at a high level.
政府维持高利率的做法是正确的。
来自柯林斯例句
5. If raging inflation returns, then interest rates will shoot up.
