essence: [14] Essence and its derivative essential [14] are the English descendants of the Latin verb ‘to be’, esse (which came ultimately from the Indo-European base *es- ‘be’, source also of English is). From it was formed the abstract noun essentia ‘being, existence’, acquired by English through Old French essence. In the adjective essential, the sense ‘absolutely necessary’ developed via ‘inherent’ and ‘indispensable’ in the 16th century. => is
essence (n.)
late 14c., essencia (respelled late 15c. on French model), from Latin essentia "being, essence," abstract noun formed (to translate Greek ousia "being, essence") from essent-, present participle stem of esse "to be," from PIE *es- "to be" (cognates: Sanskrit asmi, Hittite eimi, Old Church Slavonic jesmi, Lithuanian esmi, Gothic imi, Old English eom "I am;" see be).
Originally "substance of the Trinity;" the general sense of "basic element of anything" is first recorded in English 1650s, though this is the underlying notion of the first English use of essential. Meaning "ingredient which gives something its particular character" is from c. 1600, especially of distilled oils from plants (1650s), hence "fragrance, perfume" (17c.). In 19c. U.S., essence-peddler could mean "medical salesman" and "skunk."
雙語例句
1. Though off-puttingly complicated in detail, local taxes are in essence simple.
雖然地稅在細節上複雜得要命，但在本質上卻很簡單。
來自柯林斯例句
2. Speed was of the essence in a project of this type.
對於這種項目來說，速度至關重要。
來自柯林斯例句
3. Others claim that Ireland's very essence is expressed through the language.
其他人聲稱愛爾蘭最精髓的東西是通過語言表現出來的。
來自柯林斯例句
4. Time is of the essence.
時間是至關重要的。
來自柯林斯例句
5. The essence of dialectical thought is division.