pecuniary的词源

英文词源

pecuniary (adj.)

c. 1500, from Latin pecuniarius "pertaining to money," from pecunia "money, property, wealth," from pecu "cattle, flock," from PIE root *peku- "wealth, movable property, livestock" (source of Sanskrit pasu- "cattle," Gothic faihu "money, fortune," Old English feoh "cattle, money").

Livestock was the measure of wealth in the ancient world, and Rome, like any other culture, was essentially a farmer's community. That pecunia was literally "wealth in cattle" was still apparent to Cicero. For a possible parallel sense development in Old English, see fee, and compare, evolving in the other direction, cattle. Compare also Welsh tlws "jewel," cognate with Irish tlus "cattle," connected via notion of "valuable thing," and, perhaps emolument.

中文词源

pecuniary：金钱的

来自拉丁语pecunia,钱财，财产，来自pecus,家畜，牛，羊，来自PIE*peku,牛，羊，家畜，牲口，来自PIE*pek,拔，拔羊毛，梳理，整理，词源同fair,fight.其词义由拔羊毛的动作引申词义羊，后引申词义家畜，牛，在古代社会，牛，羊等家畜是衡量一个家庭财富的手段，因此，引申词义动产，财产，钱财等。词义演变比较furrow,farrow,pork.

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