traffic: [16] The ultimate origins of traffic are not known. It was acquired from French traffique, which in turn was borrowed from Old Italian traffico, a derivative of the verb trafficare ‘trade’, but there the trail goes cold. It is generally assumed that the word’s first element goes back to the Latin prefix trāns- ‘across’.
traffic (n.)
c. 1500, "trade, commerce," from Middle French trafique (15c.), from Italian traffico (14c.), from trafficare "carry on trade," of uncertain origin, perhaps from a Vulgar Latin *transfricare "to rub across," from Latin trans- "across" (see trans-) + fricare "to rub" (see friction), with the original sense of the Italian verb being "touch repeatedly, handle."
Or the second element may be an unexplained alteration of Latin facere "to make, do." Klein suggests ultimate derivation of the Italian word from Arabic tafriq "distribution." Meaning "people and vehicles coming and going" first recorded 1825. Traffic jam is 1917, ousting earlier traffic block (1895). Traffic circle is from 1938.
traffic (v.)
1540s, "to buy and sell," from traffic (n.) and preserving the original commercial sense. Related: Trafficked; trafficking; trafficker. The -k- is inserted to preserve the "k" sound of -c- before a suffix beginning in -i-, -y-, or -e- (compare picnic/picnicking, panic/panicky, shellacshellacked).
雙語例句
1. The volume of scheduled flights is straining the air traffic control system.
定期航班的數量正讓空中交通指揮系統(tǒng)不堪重負。
來自柯林斯例句
2. Southbound traffic tailed back for twenty miles on the M5 near Bristol.
在布里斯托爾附近的5號高速公路上，南行的車輛排成了綿延20英里的長龍。
來自柯林斯例句
3. The traffic on the approach road slowed to a crawl.
引路上車輛行駛緩慢。
來自柯林斯例句
4. The wide road was blocked solid with traffic that moved along sluggishly.
寬闊的馬路被緩慢前行的車輛堵得嚴嚴實實。
來自柯林斯例句
5. Traffic into London on the M11 was backed up for several miles.