"A" Word Origins

anesthetic

Greek

From Greek an- ("without") + aisthetikos ("able to feel") — describing something that removes feeling.

anesthetist

Origin

From anesthet(ize) + -ist.

anethical

Origin

From an- + ethical.

aneurysm

Greek

From Greek aneurysma ("a widening"), from ana- ("up") + eurys ("wide").

anew

Old English

From Old English of niowe, literally "of new" — a fusion of "a-" (meaning "of") and "new."

Ang

Origin

Borrowed from Hokkien 洪 (Âng).

angel

Latin

From Old English engel, from Latin angelus, ultimately from Greek angelos, meaning "messenger."

Angela

Greek

From the Greek "angelos", meaning "messenger" or "angel".

Angeles

Spanish

From Spanish Ángeles.

angelic

Latin

From Latin angelicus, from Greek angelikos ("of a messenger"), related to angelos ("angel").

angelica

Latin

From Latin angelica ("angelic"), reportedly so named because the plant was once believed to ward off disease and evil — an "angelic" herb.

angelical

Origin

From Middle English aungelicale, from Latin angelicus + -al; equivalent to angel + -ical.

Angelina

Origin

The hobo sense likely derives as a nickname; the Los Angeles sense is formed from "Angeleno/Angelino" with a feminine ending.

Angelique

French

From French angélique. Doublet of angelic and angélique (“plucked bowl lute”).

angellike

Origin

From Middle English aungellike, aungillyk, equivalent to angel + -like. Compare angelly and angelic.

angelly

Origin

From Middle English aungelly, angely, angelich, from Old English ænġellīċ, enġellīċ, enġlelīċ (“resembling an angel; angelic”), from Proto-West Germanic *angilalīk, equivalent to angel + -ly. Compare angely.

Angelo

Italian

Borrowed from Italian Angelo. Doublet of Angel.

angelology

Origin

From angel + -ology.

angelos

Origin

From Ancient Greek ἄγγελος (ángelos). Doublet of Angel.

Angelus

Latin

Named after the opening Latin word of the prayer, "Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariae" ("The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary").

anger

Old Norse

From Old Norse angr ("grief, sorrow"), related to the Proto-Germanic root behind the German word Angst.

Angers

Middle English

Inherited from Middle English Angers, from Old French Angiers, from Latin Andecāvis or Andecāvōrum; the usual modern pronunciation is a refashioning after modern French Angers.

angevin

Origin

Borrowed from French angevin.

Angie

Origin

From Angela + -ie.

angiogram

Origin

From angio- ("vessel") + -gram ("something written or recorded").

angle

Latin

From Latin angulus ("corner"), which also gave English the word "ankle."

angler

Middle English

From Middle English angle ("fishhook") + -er ("one who does").

angleworm

Origin

From angle + worm.

Anglia

Latin

Borrowed from Latin Anglia, referring to the Angles.

Anglican

Medieval Latin

From Medieval Latin Anglicanus, from Anglicus ("English").

anglo

Latin

A shortened form of "Anglo-," from Anglia, the Latin name for England.

angora

Origin

From the name of the city of Ankara in Turkey, from Ancient Greek ἄγκυρα (ánkura, “anchor”).

angrily

Middle English

From Middle English, formed from angry + -ly.

angry

Middle English

From Middle English angry, based on the noun anger, ultimately from Old Norse angr.

angst

German

Borrowed from German Angst ("fear, anxiety"), popularized in English through translations of Kierkegaard's philosophy.

angstful

Origin

From angst + -ful. Compare German angstvoll.

anguish

Latin

From Old French angoisse, from Latin angustia ("narrowness, distress"), from angere ("to strangle, cause pain").

angular

Latin

From Latin angularis, from angulus ("angle, corner").

angulate

Origin

Borrowed from Classical Latin angulātus, from angulus (“angle”) + -ātus.

Angus

Origin

Named after Angus, a historic county in eastern Scotland where the breed originated.

anhedonia

Greek

From Greek "an-" (without) plus "hēdonē" (pleasure) — the same root as hedonism.

anhydrous

Origin

From an- + Ancient Greek ὕδωρ (húdōr, “water”) + -ous.

ani

Spanish

Borrowed from Spanish or Portuguese ani, ultimately from an Indigenous Tupi word.

anil

Portuguese

From Portuguese anil, itself from Arabic an-nīl ("the indigo"), tracing back through Persian to Sanskrit nīla, meaning "dark blue."

anima

Origin

Borrowed from Latin anima (“a current of air, wind, air, breath, the vital principle, life, soul”), sometimes equivalent to animus (“mind”), both from Proto-Indo-European *h₂enh₁- (“to breathe, blow”); see animus. Cognate with Ancient Greek ἄνεμος (ánemos, “wind”), Old English anda (“anger, envy, zeal”). More at onde.

animadversion

Origin

From Middle French animadversion and its etymon Latin animadversiō (“observation, criticism”), from animadvertō (“to pay attention”), from animus (“mind”) + advertō (“to turn to”).

animadvert

Origin

From Latin animadvertō, from Latin animum (“mind”) (accusative singular of animus (“mind; soul; life force”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂enh₁mos (“breath”), from *h₂enh₁- (“to breathe”)) + Latin advertō (“to turn to”) (from Latin ad- (“to”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd (“at; near”) + Latin vertō (“to turn”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wert- (“to turn around”)).

animal

Latin

From Latin animal, based on anima ("breath, spirit, soul") — the same root behind "animate" and "animation."