cite: [15] Latin ciēre or cīre meant ‘move’ (it was related to Greek kīnein ‘move’, source of English kinetic and cinema). From its past participle, citus, was formed the verb citāre, meaning ‘cause to move’, and hence ‘call, summon’. This passed into English (via Old French citer), as cite ‘summon officially’.
In the 16th century this came to be applied metaphorically to the ‘calling forth’ of a particular passage of writing, author, etc as an example or proof of what one is saying – hence the modern sense ‘quote’. The same Latin verb lies behind a range of other English verbs, including excite, incite, recite, and solicit. => cinema, excite, incite, kinetic, recite, solicit
cite (v.)
mid-15c., "to summon," from Old French citer "to summon" (14c.), from Latin citare "to summon, urge, call; put in sudden motion, call forward; rouse, excite," frequentative of ciere "to move, set in motion, stir, rouse, call, invite" from PIE root *keie- "to set in motion, to move to and fro" (cognates: Sanskrit cyavate "stirs himself, goes;" Greek kinein "to move, set in motion; change, stir up," kinymai "move myself;" Gothic haitan "call, be called;" Old English hatan "command, call"). Sense of "calling forth a passage of writing" is first attested 1530s. Related: Cited; citing.
双语例句
1. His position does not empower him to cite our views without consultation.
他的地位并没有给予他不经许可就引用我们观点的权力。
来自柯林斯例句
2. It would be an endless task to cite such living examples.
这样的实例举不胜举.
来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
3. I can cite quite a few instances to illustrate.