Where did the word oasis come from?

Have you heard someone refer to a relaxing space as an oasis?  The library is a hub of activity, but with pockets that resemble a calm oasis.   

But did you know that the word oasis is not only a figurative word, but also a word that was originally the name of a fertile place in the Libyan Desert? 

The word comes directly via Latin from Greek, probably of Egyptian origin.  

The first example of oasis cited in Oxford English Dictionary is in the early 17th century by Samuel Purchas who wrote “Nomades, without Towne or habitation… changed the soile not the soule, but were no lesse injurious to Oasis, and other the Roman subjects.”

The first figurative example cited in the 20-volume historical Oxford English Dictionary is from the early 18th century by Walter Scott who wrote “The recollection of those holidays still forms an oasis in the pilgrimage which I have to look back upon.”

Also, Oasis is the name of a 90’s band from Britain. 

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