parchment: [13] Under several layers of disguise lurks the geographical origin of parchment: the ancient town of Pergamum in western Turkey, whose inhabitants used the skin of sheep for writing on rather than papyrus. In Latin, such skin was known as charta Pergamīna ‘paper from Pergamum’, or simply pergamīna. This was later blended with Parthica pellis ‘Parthian leather’ to produce a Vulgar Latin *particamīnum, which passed into English via Old French parchemin (the ending was changed to -ment on the model of other English words, in the 15th century).
The formal distinction between parchment (made from sheepskin) and vellum (made from calfskin) has never been particularly watertight in English.
parchment (n.)
c. 1300, parchemin (c. 1200 as a surname), from Old French parchemin (11c., Old North French parcamin), from Late Latin pergamena "parchment," noun use of adjective (as in pergamena charta, Pliny), from Late Greek pergamenon "of Pergamon," from Pergamon "Pergamum" (modern Bergama), city in Mysia in Asia Minor where parchment supposedly first was adopted as a substitute for papyrus, 2c. B.C.E. Possibly influenced in Vulgar Latin by Latin parthica (pellis) "Parthian (leather)." Altered in Middle English by confusion with nouns in -ment and by influence of Medieval Latin collateral form pergamentum.
双语例句
1. Cover with a sheet of non-stick baking parchment.
用一张不粘烘焙仿羊皮纸包上。
来自柯林斯例句
2. For example, animal skins called parchment and vellum were used by the ancient Greeks.
例如, 古希腊人使用过动物皮子,如羔皮(parchment)和犊皮(Vellum).
来自互联网
3. The parchment came / fell to bits ( ie disintegrated ) in my hands.
羊皮纸在我手中成了碎片.
来自辞典例句
4. Her complexion is like parchment very much the worse for wear.
她的皮肤象一副羊皮,根本不配披在身上.
来自辞典例句
5. The writing on the parchment had faded until it was almost illegible.