balance的词源

英文词源

balance: balance: [13] The underlying etymological meaning of balance is of a weighing apparatus with ‘two pans’ for holding things. In Latin this was a lībra bilanx, literally ‘scales with two pans’ – bilanx being compounded from bi- ‘two’ and lanx ‘plate, pan’. Bilanx passed, in its stem from bilanc-, via Vulgar Latin *bilancia into Old French balance, the source of the English word.
balance (n.): early 13c., "apparatus for weighing," from Old French balance (12c.) "balance, scales for weighing," also in the figurative sense; from Medieval Latin bilancia, from Late Latin bilanx, from Latin (libra) bilanx "(scale) having two pans," possibly from Latin bis "twice" + lanx "dish, plate, scale of a balance." The accounting sense is from 1580s; the meaning "general harmony between parts" is from 1732; sense of "physical equipoise" is from 1660s. Balance of power in the geopolitical sense is from 1701. Many figurative uses (such as hang in the balance, late 14c.), are from Middle English image of the scales in the hands of personified Justice, Fortune, Fate, etc.
balance (v.): 1570s, "be equal with," from balance (n.). Meaning "bring or keep in equilibrium" is from 1630s; that of "keep oneself in equilibrium" is from 1833. Of accounts, from 1580s. Related: Balanced; balancing. Balanced meal, diet, etc. is from 1908.

世界上最早的天平是古埃及人发明的。在7000多年前，古埃及人就发明了一种悬挂式的天平来给麦子称重。这种天平有两个秤盘，分别悬挂在秤梁的两边，使用的是石头做成的砝码。迄今发现的最古老的天平出自上埃及第三王朝，约公元前2500年。

古希腊人也会使用天平，并最早创造了衡器理论。古希腊科学家亚里士多德、欧几里德和阿基米德都曾经研究过等臂杠杆的平衡、稳定性以及天平灵敏度与臂长的关系。古希腊人所使用的天平与古埃及天平类似，也是由两个秤盘构成。

到了古罗马时期，出现了杆秤，即只使用一个秤盘和一个秤砣，通过秤砣在秤梁上的位置来确定秤盘上的货物的重量。与需要两个秤盘和多个不同刻度的砝码的天平相比，杆秤无疑更加先进。

英语单词balance最初的本意是“天平”。它源自古拉丁语bilanx，由bi（two，两个）+lanx（pans，盘）构成，指的就是“由两个秤盘构成的天平”。后来，该词又逐渐衍生出“平衡”的比喻之意，再在财会领域中，由“财务平衡表的差值”而衍生出“余额”之意。

balance： ['bæl(ə)ns] n.天平，平衡，余额vt使平衡，使相称，结算vi.保持平衡，抵消。

该词的英语词源请访问趣词词源英文版：balance 词源，balance 含义。

来自拉丁短语libra bilanx. Libra, 秤，天秤座。bi, 二。lanx, 盘子。原义指秤，称量，后指平衡。

来自拉丁语bi.lanx(两个圆盘)。