"A" Word Origins

Aragon

Spanish

From Spanish Aragón.

Arai

Japanese

Borrowed from Japanese 新井 (Arai) or 荒井 (Arai).

Araki

Japanese

From Japanese あらき (新木, 荒城, 荒木).

Aram

Latin

From Latin Aram, from Biblical Hebrew aram.

Aramaic

Greek

From Greek Aramaikos, based on the name of the region of Aram.

Arapaho

Origin

Possibly from a Siouan word for the Arapaho people, though the exact origin is debated.

arational

Origin

From a- + rational.

arbalest

Origin

From Middle English arblast, from Old French arbaleste (modern arbalète), from Late Latin arcuballista, from Latin arcus + ballista.

arbiter

Latin

From Latin arbiter, "a witness or judge" — literally "one who goes to see".

arbitrage

Origin

An unadapted borrowing from French arbitrage, from arbitrer (“to arbitrate”); see arbitrate.

arbitrarily

Origin

From "arbitrary" plus the adverb-forming suffix "-ly".

arbitrary

Latin

From Latin arbitrarius, "uncertain, subject to a judge's discretion", from arbiter, "judge".

arbitrate

Origin

From Latin arbitratus, past participle of arbitrari (“to be a witness, act as umpire”), from arbiter (“umpire”); see arbiter.

arbitration

Latin

From Old French arbitration, from Latin arbitratio, related to arbiter, "judge".

arbitrator

Origin

From Middle English arbitrator, from Late Latin arbitrātor, from arbitror.

arbor

Latin

From Old French erbier, "meadow, herb garden", related to Latin herba, "grass, herb" — its spelling was later reshaped by the unrelated Latin word arbor, "tree".

arboreal

Origin

From Latin arboreus (“tree-like”) + -al, mid-17th century.

arboreous

Origin

From Latin arbor (“tree”).

arborescent

Origin

From Latin arborēscēns, present active participle of arborēscō (“become a tree”). First attested around 1675. The philosophical sense refers to the way genealogy trees are drawn.

arboretum

Origin

Borrowed from Latin arborētum (“place with trees growing, plantation of trees”), from arbor (“tree”).

arboriculture

Origin

From Latin arbor (“tree”) + cultūra (“tending”).

arbour

Origin

From Middle English arbere, arber, an alteration of herber, erber (“pleasure garden; herb garden”) influenced by Latin arbor (“tree”).

arc

Latin

From Latin arcus, "a bow or arch", the same root that gives us "arch" and "arrow".

arcade

Latin

From French arcade, from Italian arcata, "the arch of a bridge", ultimately from Latin arcus, "an arc" — not related to "Arcadia".

Arcadia

Greek

From Greek Arkadia, the name of a real region of the Peloponnese, later idealized in pastoral poetry.

arcady

Origin

From Ancient Greek Ἀρκαδία (Arkadía).

arcane

Latin

From Latin arcanus, "hidden, secret", from arceo, "to shut in or enclose".

arch

Latin

From Old French arche, a feminine form of arc, from Latin arcus, "a bow, arc, or arch".

archaeological

Origin

From "archaeology" plus the adjective suffix "-ical".

archaeologist

Origin

From "archaeology" plus the "-ist" suffix, meaning "a person who practices".

archaeology

Greek

From Greek arkhaiologia, "study of ancient things", from arkhaios, "ancient", plus logos, "study".

archaic

Greek

From Greek arkhaikos, "old-fashioned", from arkhaios, "ancient", ultimately from arkhe, "beginning".

Archana

Sanskrit

From Sanskrit arcana.

archangel

Greek

From Greek arkhangelos, from arkhi-, "chief", plus angelos, "messenger".

archangelic

Origin

From Latin archangelicus. By surface analysis, arch- + angelic or archangel + -ic.

archangelical

Origin

From Latin archangelicus + -al. By surface analysis, arch- + angelical or archangel + -ical.

archangelically

Origin

From archangelical + -ly.

archbishop

Greek

From Greek arkhiepiskopos, from arkhi-, "chief", plus episkopos, "overseer" — the root of "bishop".

archdeacon

Late Latin

From Old English arcediacon, from Late Latin archidiaconus, ultimately from Greek arkhi-, "chief", plus diakonos, "deacon".

archdiocesan

Origin

From archdiocese + -an.

archdiocese

Medieval Latin

From Medieval Latin archidioecesis, from Greek arkhi-, "chief", plus Latin dioecesis, "diocese".

archduchess

Origin

From French archiduchesse, feminine of archiduc, corresponding to archduke + -ess or arch- + duchess.

archduke

Latin

From French archeduc, from Latin archidux, from arch- plus dux, "leader" — equivalent to arch- + duke.

archenemy

Origin

From "arch-", meaning "chief" or "most extreme", plus "enemy".

archer

Vulgar Latin

From Old French archier, from Vulgar Latin arcarius, from Latin arcus, "bow".

archery

Old French

From Old French archerie, from archier, "archer".

archetype

Greek

From Greek arkhetupon, "original pattern", from arkhe-, "first", plus tupos, "type, mold".

archfiend

Origin

From arch- + fiend. Compare German Erzfeind, Dutch aartsvijand.