mid-12c., "benevolence for the poor," from Old French charité "(Christian) charity, mercy, compassion; alms; charitable foundation" (12c., Old North French carité), from Latin caritatem (nominative caritas) "costliness, esteem, affection" (in Vulgate often used as translation of Greek agape "love" -- especially Christian love of fellow man -- perhaps to avoid the sexual suggestion of Latin amor), from carus "dear, valued," from PIE *karo-, from root *ka- "to like, desire" (see whore (n.)).
Vulgate also sometimes translated agape by Latin dilectio, noun of action from diligere "to esteem highly, to love" (see diligence).
Wyclif and the Rhemish version regularly rendered the Vulgate dilectio by 'love,' caritas by 'charity.' But the 16th c. Eng. versions from Tindale to 1611, while rendering agape sometimes 'love,' sometimes 'charity,' did not follow the dilectio and caritas of the Vulgate, but used 'love' more often (about 86 times), confining 'charity' to 26 passages in the Pauline and certain of the Catholic Epistles (not in I John), and the Apocalypse .... In the Revised Version 1881, 'love' has been substituted in all these instances, so that it now stands as the uniform rendering of agape. [OED]
Sense of "charitable foundation or institution" in English attested by 1690s.
实用例句
1. Mr Dudley has pledged to give any award to charity.
达德利先生已承诺将任何所获的损害赔偿额都捐给慈善机构。
来自柯林斯例句
2. The magistrates granted that the charity was justified in bringing the action.
地方法官承认该慈善机构有理由提起诉讼。
来自柯林斯例句
3. The organisers hope to raise as much as £6m for charity.
组织者希望能募集到高达600万英镑的善款。
来自柯林斯例句
4. Every year we have charity days to raise money for unfortunate people.
每年我们都有慈善日来筹款帮助贫困人群。
来自柯林斯例句
5. The charity says it wants a withdrawal of the comments.
