"A" Word Origins

abled

Origin

Back-formation from disabled.

ableism

Origin

From able + -ism, modelled on racism, sexism, etc.

ableist

English

From "able" plus "-ist," on the pattern of racist and sexist; the noun "ableism" and this adjective came into use through disability-rights activism in the late twentieth century.

ablepsia

Origin

From Ancient Greek ἀβλεψία (ablepsía, “blindness”), from ἀ- (a-, “not”) + βλέπω (blépō, “see”).

ably

Origin

From Middle English abeliche, abelyche, abilliche, abliche; equivalent to able + -ly.

abnegate

Origin

First attested in 1657. * Perhaps from Latin abnegō (“to refuse, reject”) from ab (“away from”) + negō (“to deny”), * Alternatively, perhaps a back-formation from abnegation.

abnegation

Origin

First attested before 1398. From Middle English abnegacioun, borrowed from Latin abnegātiō, from abnegō (“refuse, deny”), from ab (“off”) + negō (“deny; refuse, say no”). Compare French abnégation.

Abner

Hebrew

From Hebrew אבנר (Abner), from אָב (av, "father") + נור (nur, "light").

abnormal

Latin

From ab- ("away from") + normal, itself from Latin norma ("rule, pattern").

abnormality

Origin

From abnormal + the noun-forming suffix -ity.

aboard

Middle English

From Middle English abord, from a- ("on") + bord ("side of a ship, board").

abode

Old English

From Old English abad, related to abidan ("to abide, remain") — an abode is literally a place where you "abide."

abogado

Origin

Borrowed from Spanish abogado, from Latin advocātus, from advocō (“to call, summon”). Doublet of advocate.

abolish

Latin

From Middle French abolir, from Latin abolere, "to destroy, wipe out."

abolishment

Origin

From Middle French abolissement, from aboliss-, stem of some conjugated forms abolir, equivalent to abolish + -ment.

abolition

Latin

From Latin abolitio, from abolere ("to destroy, do away with") — see abolish.

abolitionist

Latin

From "abolition," from Latin "abolere" (to destroy or do away with), plus "-ist".

abominable

Latin

From Old French abominable, from Latin abominari, "to regard as an ill omen," from ab- + omen. Some writers used to spell it "abhominable," wrongly assuming it came from Latin homo ("man") — hence Shakespeare's joke about actors acting "abominably."

abominate

Origin

First attested in 1644. Perhaps a back-formation from abomination. Alternatively, perhaps from Late Latin abōminātus, past participle of abōminarī (“to deprecate as an ill omen”), from ab + ominari (“to forebode, presage”), from omen.

abomination

Latin

From Latin abominatio, "an abomination, detestation" — see abominable.

Aboriginal

Latin

From Latin ab origine, "from the beginning/origin."

aborigine

Origin

Back-formation from Aborigines.

aborigines

Latin

A learned borrowing from Latin aborigines, plural, "the original inhabitants."

abort

Latin

From Latin abortus, past participle of aboriri, "to fail to be born," from ab- ("away, amiss") + oriri ("to arise, be born").

aborted

Origin

From abort + the adjective-forming suffix -ed.

aborticide

Origin

From abortion + -cide (“killing; killer”).

abortion

Latin

From Latin abortio, "miscarriage," built from the verb aborior, "to fail to be born" or "to miscarry" — the same root gives us "abort."

abortive

Origin

First attested in 1382, with the meaning "causing stillbirth or miscarriage". From Middle English abortif, from Old French abortif, from Latin abortīvus (“causing abortion”), from aborior (“miscarry, disappear”), from ab (“amiss”) + orior (“appear, be born, arise”).

abortus

Origin

Borrowed from New Latin abortus (“miscarriage”). Doublet of abort.

abound

Latin

From Old French abonder, tracing back to Latin abundare, "to overflow" — literally from unda, "a wave," the same root behind "abundant" and "inundate."

about

Old English

From Old English onbutan, a fusion of on and butan ("outside of"), which itself combines be ("by") and utan ("outside") — so, quite literally, "by the outside."

above

Old English

From Old English abufan, joining on ("on") and bufan ("over") — a Germanic compound related to Dutch boven and German oben.

abovesaid

Origin

From above + said.

abra

Spanish

From Spanish abra, meaning a gap or cove — a linguistic cousin of the English word "haven."

abracadabra

Late Latin

Borrowed straight from Late Latin abracadabra, a word whose earlier origins are murky, historically believed to carry protective magical power when written or spoken.

abrade

Origin

From Latin abrādō (“scrape off”), from ab (“from, away from”) + rādō (“scrape”). First attested in 1677.

Abraham

Ancient Greek

Etymology tree Biblical Hebrew אַבְרָהָם (ʔaḇrɔhɔm)bor. Ancient Greek Ἀβρᾱᾱ́μ (Abrāā́m)bor. Latin Ābrahāmbor. Old English Abraham Middle English Abraham English Abraham From Middle English Abraham, from Old English Abraham, from Late Latin Ābrahām, from Ancient Greek Ἀβρᾱᾱ́μ (Abrāā́m), from Hebrew אַבְרָהָם ('aḇrāhām, “Abraham”). Thomas L. Thompson suggests that the meaning of the name in Genesis was forgotten due to its age and that its original meaning was "Father is exalted." Glossed as אַב (aḇ, “father of”) + הֲמוֹן (hăˈmōn, “multitude of”) in Genesis 17:4–5; or from Hebrew אַבְרָם ('aḇrām, “Abram”). Doublet of Ibrahim and Avraham.

abrahan

Origin

From American Spanish Abrahán. Doublet of Abraham.

abraid

Origin

From Middle English abraiden, abreiden (“to start up, awake, move, reproach”), from Old English ābreġdan (“to move quickly, vibrate, draw, draw from, remove, unsheath, wrench, pull out, withdraw, take away, draw back, free from, draw up, raise, lift up, start up”), from Proto-Germanic *uz- (“out”) + *bregdaną (“to move, swing”), of uncertain further origin. Equivalent to a- + braid. Related to Dutch breien (“to knit”), German bretten (“to knit”).

abram

Origin

Alteration of auburn.

Abramoff

Russian

From Abram + the Russian suffix -off.

Abrams

Origin

From Abraham.

abrasion

Latin

From Latin abrasio, "a scraping," rooted in abrado, "to scrape off" — the same source as the verb "abrade."

abrasive

Medieval Latin

Borrowed from Medieval Latin abrasivus, built on the same root as "abrasion" and "abrade."

abreaction

Origin

Partial calque of German Abreagierung, from ab (“away from”) + Reagierung (“reaction”).

abreast

Middle English

From Middle English abrest, formed from a- ("at") plus breast — originally describing people standing "breast to breast," equally level with one another.

abridge

Origin

From Middle English abreggen, abregge, abrigge (“curtail, lessen”), from Old French abregier, abreger, from Late Latin abbreviō, abbreviāre (“make brief”). Doublet of abbreviate.

abridged

Origin

From abridge + -ed.