debt: [13] Debt originated as dēbita, the plural of Latin dēbitum ‘that which is owed’, a noun formed from the past participle of the verb dēbēre ‘owe’. In Vulgar Latin, dēbita was evidently viewed as a feminine singular noun, and it passed thus into Old French as dette, the form in which English originally acquired the word. From the 13th to the 16th centuries the French spelling was latinized as debte, a reform which English adopted in the 16th century.
In the 15th century English independently borrowed Latin dēbitum as debit. (Latin dēbēre ‘owe’, source also of English debenture, due, and duty, was originally a compound verb formed from the prefix dē- ‘away’ and habēre ‘have’, literally ‘have away’, that is, ‘keep in one’s possession what belongs to someone else’.) => debenture, due, duty, endeavour
debt (n.)
late 13c., dette, from Old French dete, from Latin debitum "thing owed," neuter past participle of debere "to owe," originally, "keep something away from someone," from de- "away" (see de-) + habere "to have" (see habit (n.)). Restored spelling after c. 1400. In Middle English, debt of the body (mid-14c.) was "that which spouses owe to each other, sexual intercourse."
双语例句
1. The word " debt " contains a mute letter.
在 debt 这个词中有一个不发音的字母.
来自《简明英汉词典》
2. The plan is designed to reduce some of the company's mountainous debt.
该计划旨在减少公司堆积如山的债务。
来自柯林斯例句
3. The American Congress has agreed to forgive Egypt's military debt.
美国国会同意免除埃及的军事债务。
来自柯林斯例句
4. The Commonwealth Development Corporation has agreed to reschedule Tanzania's debt.
英联邦开发公司已经同意推迟坦桑尼亚的债务偿还时间。
来自柯林斯例句
5. Brazil is putting forward a new debt repayment plan.