Mirage

Mirage egtl. Freude, Wunderlich; verfälscht "Spiegelung",

• engl.
  • an optical illusion caused by atmospheric conditions, especially the appearance of a sheet of water in a desert or on a hot road caused by the refraction of light from the sky by heated air
  • an unrealistic hope or wish that cannot be achieved
  • early 19th century: from French, from se mirer ‘be reflected’, from Latin mirare ‘look at’.
    • französisch mirage, zu: (se) mirer = sich spiegeln < lateinisch mirari = sich wundern; bewundern Luftspiegelung