phantasm

来自拉丁语phantasma,幽灵，鬼魂，来自希腊语phantasma,影象，幻象，来自phainein,出现，来自PIE*bha,照明，光照，词源同beacon,phase.

phantasm (n.)

early 13c., fantesme, from Old French fantosme "a dream, illusion, fantasy; apparition, ghost, phantom" (12c.), and directly from Latin phantasma "an apparition, specter," from Greek phantasma "image, phantom, apparition; mere image, unreality," from phantazein "to make visible, display," from stem of phainein "to bring to light, make appear; come to light, be seen, appear; explain, expound, inform against; appear to be so," from PIE root *bha- (1) "to shine" (cognates: Sanskrit bhati "shines, glitters," Old Irish ban "white, light, ray of light"). Spelling conformed to Latin from 16c. (see ph). A spelling variant of phantom, "differentiated, but so that the differences are elusive" [Fowler].

1. a ghostly appearing figure;

"we were unprepared for the apparition that confronted us"

2. something existing in perception only;

"a ghostly apparition at midnight"