英文词源
- testicle (n.)
- early 15c., alteration of testicule (late 14c.), from Latin testiculus, diminutive of testis "testicle" (see testis). Old English had beallucas (see ballocks) and herþan, probably originally "leather bag" (compare heorþa "deer-skin"). The commonest slang terms for them in other languages are words that mean "balls," "stones," "nuts," "eggs."
中文词源
testicle 来源于拉丁语testis。testis 意为“证人”或“证明”,但testicle却指“睾丸”。当testis 作为借用语直接进入英语时,它也指“睾丸”。那么,这两个词之间有什么联系呢?古时候,希腊地区的男人宣誓或作证时,必须把一只手放在自己的睾丸上,以此表示如果说假话或作伪证就会断子绝孙。从生理的角度讲,睾丸(现在写成testicle)能够“证明”男性到底有没有生殖能力。
该词的英语词源请访问趣词词源英文版:testicle 词源,testicle 含义。
来自 testis,睾丸,-icle,小词后缀。