英语词汇mistletoe的起源、历史背景-英语词源词典

mistletoe. Kissing under the mistletoe might not seem so romantic to those who know one possible origin of this word. According to some authorities, mistletoe derives from the Old English word mistiltan; tan means “twig” and mistil means “dung.” It seems that in olden times people thought mistletoe shoots sprang from bird droppings. Another theory is that mis- til means “bird-lime” and refers to a sticky substance long used to catch birds that was made by boiling mistletoe twigs. Mistle- toe, known to be poisonous, was used in connection with hu- man sacrifices by the Druids, which is why the early Christian church forbade its use in church decoration. Kissing under the mistletoe is an English custom dating back to the early 17th century. Few people know that each kiss requires the plucking of a berry from the mistletoe and that the kissing is finished when the last berry is picked. The berries should not be eaten: They are poisonous.

词汇	mistletoe
词源	mistletoe. Kissing under the mistletoe might not seem so romantic to those who know one possible origin of this word. According to some authorities, mistletoe derives from the Old English word mistiltan; tan means “twig” and mistil means “dung.” It seems that in olden times people thought mistletoe shoots sprang from bird droppings. Another theory is that mis- til means “bird-lime” and refers to a sticky substance long used to catch birds that was made by boiling mistletoe twigs. Mistle- toe, known to be poisonous, was used in connection with hu- man sacrifices by the Druids, which is why the early Christian church forbade its use in church decoration. Kissing under the mistletoe is an English custom dating back to the early 17th century. Few people know that each kiss requires the plucking of a berry from the mistletoe and that the kissing is finished when the last berry is picked. The berries should not be eaten: They are poisonous.
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