mildew

• n. カビ; べと病
• vt.カビを生やす
• vi.カビが生える

mil-、甘い、語源的には糖蜜、露、露滴と同じ。原語の意味は、甘いジュース、蜜のしずく。現在の意味は、おそらくミール、つまり粉状の露の影響を受けており、カビやべと病を表すのに使われる。

mildew

mildew: [OE] Mildew originally meant ‘honeydew’ (which is a sort of sticky substance exuded by aphids and similar insects on to leaves). It is a compound noun formed in the prehistoric Germanic period from *melith ‘honey’ (a relative of Latin mel ‘honey’, source of English mellifluous and molasses) and *daw-waz, ancestor of English dew. The metaphorical transference from ‘honey-dew’ to a less pleasant, fungal growth on plants, etc took place in the 14th century.
=> dew, mellifluous, molasses

mildew (n.)

mid-13c., mildeu "honeydew, nectar," from Old English meledeaw "honeydew" (sticky stuff exuded by aphids), from Proto-Germanic compound of *melith "honey" (see Melissa) + *dawwaz "dew" (see dew). Similar formation in Old Saxon milidou, Dutch meeldauw, German Meltau "mildew."

First element in many cases assimilated to forms of meal (n.2) "ground grain." As a kind of fungus it is first recorded mid-14c., so called from its being sticky and originally growing in plants. As a verb from 1550s. Related: Mildewed.

1. He was already asleep in the bed，which smelled faintly of mildew .

彼はすでに少しかび臭いベッドで寝ていた。

2.The grain is liable to mildew when the humidity in the barn is too high.

倉庫は湿気が多すぎて、食糧にカビが生えやすい。

3.The room smelled of mildew .

部屋にかびのにおいがする。

4.The interior was dark and smelled of mildew .

中は光が暗く、かび臭い。

5. Mildew may form in this weather.

この天気はかびが生える可能性がある。