scheme: [16] Greek skhéma meant ‘form, figure’. Latin took it over as schēma and used it as the equivalent of figure in a range of applications, such as ‘figure of speech’ and ‘diagram’, many of which were originally taken over by English (‘In the text, by a very elegant scheme of speech he does … once more set them at liberty’, John Tillotson, Sermons 1684). The modern sense ‘plan’, which presumably developed out of ‘diagram’, began to emerge in the mid 17th century.
scheme (n.)
1550s, "figure of speech," from Medieval Latin schema "shape, figure, form, appearance; figure of speech; posture in dancing," from Greek skhema (genitive skhematos) "figure, appearance, the nature of a thing," related to skhein "to get," and ekhein "to have," from PIE root *segh- "to hold, to hold in one's power, to have" (cognates: Sanskrit sahate "he masters, overcomes," sahah "power, victory;" Avestan hazah "power, victory;" Greek ekhein "to have, hold;" Gothic sigis, Old High German sigu, Old Norse sigr, Old English sige "victory").
The sense "program of action" first is attested 1640s. Unfavorable overtones (selfish, devious) began to creep in early 18c. Meaning "complex unity of coordinated component elements" is from 1736. Color scheme is attested from 1884.
scheme (v.)
"devise a scheme," 1767 (earlier "reduce to a scheme," 1716), from scheme (n.). Related: Schemed; scheming.
双语例句
1. You have to pay your outstanding bill before joining the scheme.
在参加该项目之前必须结清余账。
来自柯林斯例句
2. The Government's financial squeeze had killed the scheme off.
政府的财政困难已使这个计划成为泡影。
来自柯林斯例句
3. He reckoned the odds are against the scheme going ahead.
他认为目前实施这项计划的希望渺茫。
来自柯林斯例句
4. He cannot reveal how much money is involved in the scheme.
他不能透露该计划投入了多少钱。
来自柯林斯例句
5. The scheme offers seed corn finance with loans at only 4% interest.
