caliber的词源

英文词源

caliber (n.)

1560s, "degree of merit or importance," a figurative use from Middle French calibre (late 15c.), apparently ultimately from Arabic qalib "a mold for casting." Arabic also used the word in the sense "mold for casting bullets," which is the oldest literal meaning in English. Meaning "inside diameter of a gun barrel" is attested from 1580s. Barnhart remarks that Spanish calibre, Italian calibro "appear too late to act as intermediate forms" between the Arabic word and the French.

中文词源

caliber：口径、水准

发音释义：['kæləbɚ] n.口径；水准；能力

词源解释：caliber←英式英语calibre←中古法语calibre←阿拉伯语qalib（模具、鞋楦）

caliber一词最终来自阿拉伯语，原本表示模具如鞋楦，后来词义演变为模具的尺寸。火炮问世后，这个单词用来表示火炮的炮管及炮弹的口径。小型的火枪问世后，用来表示枪管及子弹的口径。后来这个单词的词义发生泛化，可以泛指各种度量衡，并衍生出“水准、能力”的含义。

衍生词：calibrate（校准、测量口径）；calibration（校准；刻度）

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

caliber：能力，口径

来自阿拉伯语qalib, 模子，后指枪管口径。