scandal: [16] Greek skándalon originally meant literally ‘trap’ (it came from prehistoric Indo- European *skand- ‘jump’, which also produced Latin scandere ‘climb’, source of English ascend, descend, and scan). It was extended metaphorically to ‘snare for the unwary, stumbling block’, and passed into late Latin as scandalum, which was used for ‘cause of offence’. It came down to Old French as escandle, which was not only the source of a short-lived Middle English scandle, but also lies behind English slander. It was the later French form scandale that gave English scandal. => ascend, descend, scan, slander
scandal (n.)
1580s, "discredit caused by irreligious conduct," from Middle French scandale (12c.), from Late Latin scandalum "cause for offense, stumbling block, temptation," from Greek skandalon "a trap or snare laid for an enemy," in New Testament, metaphorically as "a stumbling block, offense;" originally "trap with a springing device," from PIE *skand- "to leap, climb" (see scan (v.); also see slander (n.), which is another form of the same word).
Attested from early 13c., but the modern word likely is a reborrowing. Meaning "malicious gossip," also "shameful action or event" is from 1590s; sense of "person whose conduct is a disgrace" is from 1630s. Scandal sheet "sensational newspaper" is from 1939. Scandal-monger is from 1702.
双语例句
1. His government began to unravel because of a banking scandal.
他的政府由于一起金融丑闻而开始瓦解。
来自柯林斯例句
2. There were fears he would be dragged down by the scandal.
有人担心他会因丑闻而辱没了身份。
来自柯林斯例句
3. The cast of characters in the scandal is bewilderingly large.
卷入丑闻的人多得让人眼花缭乱。
来自柯林斯例句
4. The industry minister described the affair as "an absolute scandal".
工业部长将此事件形容为“绝对的丑闻”。
来自柯林斯例句
5. What went on was a scandal. It was a disgrace to Britain.