combustion 復習

　Tesla has unveiled its first electric articulated lorry, designed to challenge diesel trucks as king of the road.
　The long-anticipated Tesla Semi has a range of 500 miles on a single charge.
　Tesla says the vehicle - known in the US as a semi-trailer truck - will go into production in 2019.
　Chief executive Elon Musk also unexpectedly revealed a new Roadster, which he said would be "the fastest production car ever" made.
　The red sports car was driven out of the trailer of the electric lorry during Tesla's presentation on Thursday. …
　"Diesel is the most energy efficient internal combustion engine,” Allen Schaeffer, the forum's executive director.
　"It has achieved dominance as the technology of choice in the trucking industry over many decades and challenges from many other fuel types.
　"Still, today, diesel offers a unique combination of unmatched features: proven fuel efficiency, economical operation, power, reliability, durability, availability, easy access to fuelling and service facilities, and now near-zero emissions performance."
　As well as coming up against diesel incumbents, Tesla also faces other electric rivals. Concept electric big rigs have been unveiled by Daimler, Volkswagen and Cummins - though all fall short on range, and none are currently on the roads. (Skip the rest)

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-42021713

　今回取り上げる語は、combustion /kəmbˈʌstʃən/ です。
　まず意味を確認します。『新英和大辞典』(第六版、研究社)をみると、「(1)燃焼(burning)、(2)激動、騒動、大騒ぎ(tumult)、(3)a 酸化(oxidation) b 燃焼分析(combustion analysisともいう)」とあります。(3)に関しては、化学分野の意味になります。
　次に語源を確認します。Oxford Dictionary of English (2nd Edition Revised)をみると、“late Middle English: from Latin combustio(n-), from Latin comburere ‘burn up’ ”とあります。burn up「燃え上がる」から意味がきていることがわかります。
　最後に今回の記事にある internal combustion engine に触れます。LDOCEをみると、combustion は、“(1)the process of burning, (2)technical chemical activity which uses oxygen to produce light and heat” とあり、internal combustion engine は、“an engine that produces power by burning petrol, used in most car” とありました。日本名では「内燃機関」と呼ばれています。車好きにとっては常識なのでしょう。確認のため、wiki を付けておきますので、参考までにご確認ください。(OkaUchi)

ICE: https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%86%85%E7%87%83%E6%A9%9F%E9%96%A2