gymnasium: [16] Greek gumnós meant ‘naked’. It was customary in ancient times for athletes to train naked, and so the verb gumnázein came to mean ‘train, practise’ – particularly by doing exercises (whence English gymnast [16]). From the verb was derived the noun gumnásion, which Latin borrowed as gymnasium ‘school’. This academic sense has never caught on to any extent in English (although it is the word’s only application in German); we have preferred to go back to the original athletic connotations.
gymnasium (n.)
1590s, "place of exercise," from Latin gymnasium "school for gymnastics," from Greek gymnasion "public place where athletic exercises are practiced; gymnastics school," in plural, "bodily exercises," from gymnazein "to exercise or train," literally or figuratively, literally "to train naked," from gymnos "naked," from a metathesis of PIE *nogw-mo-, suffixed form of *nogw- "naked" (see naked).
A feature of all ancient Greek communities, at first it was merely an open space, later with extensive facilities and including training for the mind as well as the body. Hence its use in German from 15c. as a name for "high school" (more or less paralleling a sense also in Latin); in English it has remained purely athletic. For the "continental high school sense," English in 19c. sometimes used gymnastical as an adjective, gymnasiast for a student.
实用例句
1. Our school has a big gymnasium.
我们学校有座大型体育馆.来自《简明英汉词典》
2. The game will be staged in the gymnasium.
竞赛将在体育馆举行.来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
3. The basketball nets hung down from the ceiling at either end of the gymnasium.
篮筐分别从体育馆两头的天花板上悬吊下来。来自柯林斯例句
4. The daily tariff includes accommodation and unlimited use of the pool and gymnasium.
日常费用包括住宿以及游泳池和健身房的不限时使用。来自柯林斯例句
5. It took us several hours to get the gymnasium ready for the ball.
