inferno: [19] Etymologically, an inferno is that which is ‘below’. The word comes ultimately from Latin infernus, meaning ‘situated below, subterranean’. In ancient mythology, the nether regions were the abode of the dead, so inferna came to be used as the equivalent of Dis, and the Greek Hades. In Jewish and Christian belief, this basement area was the realm of evil spirits, and consequently in late Latin infernus came to cover much the same semantic ground as English hell.
In Italian this became inferno, and English adopted it (strongly under the influence of the Inferno of Dante’s Divine Comedy) in that form in the early 19th century. Its metaphorical use for ‘intense heat’, inspired by the stereotypical flames of hell, is a comparatively recent development. Meanwhile the related infernal [14] (from late Latin infernalis) had long since taken up residence in English, and by the 18th century was being used as an expletive (as in ‘their infernal cheek’).
inferno (n.)
1834, from Italian inferno, from Latin infernus (see infernal).
双语例句
1. Lucent's Inferno is an entire system, designed for embedded systems.
朗讯公司的Inferno是为嵌入式系统设计的完整系统.
来自互联网
2. Inferno logically mirrors Java by including a virtual machine, programming language, and communications protocol.
Inferno包含 了虚拟机 、 编程语言和通信协议,故在逻辑上是Java的镜像.
来自互联网
3. Rescue workers fought to get to victims inside the inferno.
救援人员奋力营救大火中的受害者。
来自辞典例句
4. This was an inferno of pain and smell and noise and hurry -- hurry -- hurry!
这是一个充满了痛苦、臭味、喧嚣和忙乱的地狱 -- 忙乱,多么忙乱啊!
来自飘（部分）
5. The inferno spewed a deadly plume of radioactive isotopes into the atmosphere.
