somersault: [16] Somersaults have no connection with ‘summer’. The first element of the word means etymologically ‘over’. It comes from Old French sombresault, an alteration of an earlier sobresault. And this in turn was acquired from Provençal *sobresaut, a compound formed from sobre ‘over, above’ (a descendant of Latin sūpra) and saut ‘jump’ (a descendant of Latin saltus, which has close relatives in English assault, insult, sauté, etc). => assault, insult, result, sauté
somersault (n.)
1520s, from Middle French sombresault, from Old Provençal sobresaut, from sobre "over" (from Latin supra "over;" see supra-) + saut "a jump," from Latin saltus, from the root of salire "to leap" (see salient (adj.)). Sometimes further corrupted to somerset, etc.
somersault (v.)
1845, from somersault (n.). Related: Somersaulted; somersaulting.
双语例句
1. He did a brilliant backward somersault.
他翻了个漂亮的后翻跟头.
来自《简明英汉词典》
2. I turned a somersault on the lawn.
我在草地上翻了个跟头.
来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
3. He turned a somersault.
他翻了个筋头.
来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
4. In the last 30 years, both sexes have performed a somersault in terms of expectations, roles and relationships.
最近30年里，男性和女性在个人期望、社会角色和人际关系方面都发生了180度的大转变。
来自柯林斯例句
5. What worries some of us is that the Prime Minister may feel simply unable to do a somersault.
