"A" Word Origins

aggregate

Latin

From Latin aggregare ("to flock together"), from ad- ("to") + grex ("flock") — the same root as "gregarious" and "egregious."

aggregation

Origin

From Latin aggregātiō, from aggregō (“aggregate”).

aggression

Latin

From Latin aggredior ("to approach, attack"), from ad- ("toward") + gradior ("to step, walk").

aggressive

Latin

From "aggress" (from Latin aggredior, "to attack") + the adjective-forming suffix "-ive."

aggressively

Origin

From "aggressive" + the adverb-forming suffix "-ly."

aggressiveness

Origin

From "aggressive" + the noun-forming suffix "-ness."

aggressor

Latin

From Latin aggressor ("attacker"), from the same root as "aggression" and "aggressive."

aggrieve

Origin

From Middle English agreven, from Old French agrever; a (Latin ad) + grever (“to burden, injure”), from Latin gravare (“to weigh down”), from gravis (“heavy”). See grieve, and compare with aggravate.

aggro

Origin

A clipped, informal shortening of "aggravation," shaped by the word "aggressive."

agha

Ottoman Turkish

From Ottoman Turkish aghā, a title of respect.

aghast

Origin

From Middle English agast, agasted, past participle of agasten (“to terrify”), from Old English a- (compare with Gothic 𐌿𐍃- (us-), German er-, originally meaning "out") + gæstan (“to terrify, torment”): compare Gothic 𐌿𐍃𐌲𐌰𐌹𐍃𐌾𐌰𐌽 (usgaisjan, “to terrify”, literally “to fix, to root to the spot with terror”); akin to Latin haerere (“to stick fast, cling”). By surface analysis, a- + ghast/gast. See gaze.

agile

Latin

From Latin agilis, "nimble," from agere, "to do or move" — the same root behind "act" and "agent."

agility

Latin

From Latin agilitas, from agilis ("nimble") — the noun form of "agile."

aging

Origin

Simply "age" plus the ending "-ing."

agitant

Origin

From Latin agitāns, present participle of agitō (“to shake, brandish, agitate”); equivalent to agitate + -ant.

agitate

Latin

From Latin agitare, "to keep moving, drive on" — a frequentative form of agere, "to drive or move," the same root as "act" and "agent."

agitation

Latin

From Latin agitatio, "movement, agitation," from the verb agitare.

agitational

Origin

From agitation + -al.

agitator

Origin

Formed from "agitate" plus the agent suffix "-or," meaning "one who agitates."

agitatrix

Origin

Learned borrowing from Latin agitātrīx, feminine of agitātor. By surface analysis, agitate + -trix.

agitprop

Origin

The noun is borrowed from Russian агитпро́п (agitpróp, “agitprop”), Агитпро́п (Agitpróp, “Agitprop (Department for Agitation and Propaganda of the Soviet Union)”), short for отде́л агитации и пропаганды (otdél agitacii i propagandy, “Department for Agitation and Propaganda”); analysable as a blend of agitation + propaganda. The verb is derived from the noun.

agley

Origin

Borrowed from Scots agley.

aglow

Origin

Formed from the prefix "a-" plus "glow."

Agnes

Ancient Greek

From Ancient Greek hagnós, meaning "pure" or "chaste"; a doublet of the name Inez.

Agnew

Irish

Either a Scottish habitational surname from the Norman village of Agneaux, or an anglicised form of the Irish surname Ó Gnímh.

agnostic

Greek · 1870

Coined in 1870 by the scientist Thomas Henry Huxley from Greek a- ("not") + gnostos ("known"), to describe someone who neither affirms nor denies the existence of God.

agnosticism

Origin

Coined by Thomas Henry Huxley. From a- + gnostic + -ism (see also agnostic).

agnosy

Origin

By surface analysis, a- + -gnosy; diachronically, probably from the same borrowing as agnosia, which see.

ago

Old English

From Middle English ago, agon, "passed," ultimately from Old English agan, "to pass away, go forth" — related to "gone."

agonist

Origin

Borrowed from Latin agōnista, from Ancient Greek ἀγωνιστής (agōnistḗs, “combatant, champion”). By surface analysis, agon or agony + -ist.

agonize

Origin

From French agoniser, from Late Latin agonizare, from Ancient Greek ἀγωνίζομαι (agōnízomai, “to fight, contend”). See agony. By surface analysis, agon + -ize.

agony

Greek

From Greek agonia, "struggle, contest," from agon, "a contest" — originally describing the intense struggle before death, later broadened to any extreme suffering.

agora

Greek

Borrowed directly from Greek agora, meaning "gathering place" or "marketplace."

agoraphobia

Greek

From Greek "agora," the marketplace or public square, plus "-phobia" (fear).

agorism

Origin

From Ancient Greek ἀγορά (agorá, “agora (open place for assembly and market)”) + -ism. Coined by Samuel Edward Konkin III in his 1980 New Libertarian Manifesto.

agra

Irish

The Irish sense comes from a (a vocative particle) plus a softened form of grá, meaning "love."

agrarian

Latin

From Latin agrarius, "of the land," from ager, "field."

agree

Latin

From Old French agreer, "to accept kindly," from a gre, "favorably," ultimately from Latin gratus, "pleasing."

agreeable

Old French

From Old French agreable, from agree, "to please" — built from "agree" plus the suffix "-able."

agreeably

Origin

From Middle English agreablely, agreably; equivalent to agreeable + -ly.

agreeing

Origin

Formed from "agree" plus the ending "-ing."

agreement

Old French

From Old French agreement, from agreer, "to agree" — built from "agree" plus "-ment."

agribusiness

Origin

From agri- + business, or a blend of agriculture + business, coined by American academic and diplomat John Herbert Davis (1904–1988).

agricultural

Origin

Formed from "agriculture" plus the adjective ending "-al."

agriculture

Latin

From Latin agricultura, from ager ("field") + cultura ("cultivation") — literally "the cultivation of fields."

Agrippa

Ancient Greek

From Latin Agrippa, of disputed origin, possibly linked to an Ancient Greek word.

Agrippina

Origin

The feminine form of Agrippa.

agronomy

Origin

From French agronomie, from agronome (“agriculturist”), from Ancient Greek ἀγρός (agrós, “field”) + νόμος (nómos, “law”). By surface analysis, agro- + -nomy.