词源字典r.doc

-rama noun suffix meaning spectacular display or instance of, 1824, abstracted from panorama, ultimately from Gk. horama sight. R In a circle, meaning registered (trademark), first incorporated in U.S. statues 1946. Three Rs (1825) said to have been given as a toast by Sir W. Curtis (1752-1829). RR rest and relaxation, first recorded 1953, Amer.Eng.; RB rhythm and blues (type of popular music) first attested 1949, Amer.Eng. R.A.F. acronym for Royal Air Force, founded 1918 by consolidation of Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service. R.E.M. 1957, acronym for rapid eye movement. R.O.T.C. acronym for Reserve Officers Training Corps, attested from 1916 (it was established as part of the National Defense Act of 1916). R.S.V.P. c.1845, from Fr. abbreviation of répondez, sil vous plait reply, if you please. rabbet 1382 (implied in rabbeting), from O.Fr. rabbat a recess in a wall, lit. a beating down, from rabattre beat down, beat back (see rebate). The verb is attested from 1565. rabbi Jewish doctor of religious law, 1484, (in O.E. in biblical context only; in M.E. also as a title prefixed to personal names), from L.L. rabbi, from Gk. rhabbi, from Mishnaic Heb. rabbi my master, from rabh master, great one, title of respect for Jewish doctors of law + -i, first person sing. pronominal suffix. From Sem. root r-b-b to be great or numerous (cf. robh multitude; Arabic rabba was great, rabb master). The -n- in rabbinical (1622) is via Fr. form rabbin, from M.L. rabbinus (cf. It. rabbino, Sp., Port. rabino), perhaps from a presumed plural of the Heb. word. rabbit 1398, young of the cony, from Fr. dialect (cf. Walloon robète), dim. of Flem. or M.Du. robbe rabbit, of unknown origin. The adult was a cony (q.v.) until 18c. Zoologically speaking, there are no native rabbits in the United States; they are all hares. But the early colonists, for some unknown reason, dropped the word hare out of their vocabulary, and it is rarely heard in American speech to this d