bolster的词源

英文词源

bolster

bolster: [OE] The idea underlying bolster ‘long pillow’ is of something stuffed, so that it swells up. It comes from a prehistoric Germanic *bolstraz, which was a derivative of *bolg-, *bulg- (source also of bellows, belly, billow and possibly bell, bellow, and bold). German has the related polster ‘cushion, pillow’.
=> bell, bellow, belly, billow, bold

bolster (v.)

mid-15c. (implied in bolstered), "propped up, made to bulge" (originally of a woman's breasts), from bolster (n.). Figurative sense is from c. 1500, on the notion of "to support with a bolster, prop up." Related: Bolstering.

bolster (n.)

Old English bolster "bolster, cushion, something stuffed so that it swells up," especially "long, stuffed pillow," from Proto-Germanic *bolkhstraz (cognates: Old Norse bolstr, Danish, Swedish, Dutch bolster, German polster), from PIE *bhelgh- "to swell" (see belly (n.)).

中文词源

bolster：支持、衬垫

发音释义：['bəʊlstə] vt.支持；支撑；振兴（经济）；鼓舞（士气）；n.支持；支撑物；衬垫；长枕

词源解释：来自古英语，表示内部有填充物因而鼓起的物品，如衬垫，特指长枕，来源于原始印欧语bhelgh（膨胀），现在常用于抽象对象，如振兴经济、鼓舞士气、增强信心等。作名词时，常用来表示各种支撑物，如衬垫、垫片、枕梁等。

同源词：belly（腹部←鼓起的部位）

词组习语：bolster up = bolster

助记窍门：bolster→bolt（螺钉）→支撑物

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

bolster：垫枕，支持

词源同ball, 原来指鼓起来的垫子，枕头，护垫等，主要作名词使用。后来做动词使用，指支持，保护。