arbor(n.1)
约公元1300年, herber,“草药园,花园”,源自古法语 erbier “田野,草地; 菜园”,源自拉丁语 herba “草,草本植物”(见 herb)。后来指“草地”(14世纪中叶,古法语中也有这个意思),“阴凉的角落,由树木、灌木或藤蔓交织而成的凉亭”(14世纪中叶)。它可能不是来自拉丁语 arbor “树木”(见 arbor(n.2)),尽管也许那个词影响了它的拼写:
[O]riginally signifying a place for the cultivation of herbs, a pleasure-ground, garden, subsequently applied to the bower or rustic shelter which commonly occupied the most conspicuous situation in the garden ; and thus the etymological reference to herbs being no longer apparent, the spelling was probably accommodated to the notion of being sheltered by trees or shrubs (arbor). [Hensleigh Wedgwood, "A Dictionary of English Etymology," 1859]
[O]riginally signifying a place for the cultivation of herbs, a pleasure-ground, garden, subsequently applied to the bower or rustic shelter which commonly occupied the most conspicuous situation in the garden ; and thus the etymological reference to herbs being no longer apparent, the spelling was probably accommodated to the notion of being sheltered by trees or shrubs (arbor). [Hensleigh Wedgwood, "A Dictionary of English Etymology," 1859]
但是,在中古英语中,在辅音前从 er- 变为 ar- 的变化也反映了发音的变化:比较 farm 来自 ferme, harbor 来自古英语 herebeorg。
该词起源时间:约1300年