"A" Word Origins

abysm

Origin

From Middle English abime, from Old French abisme from Late Latin *abyssimus, a superlative of abyssus (“bottomless pit”), from Ancient Greek ἄβυσσος (ábussos). Cognate to French abîme. See also abyss.

abysmal

Origin

Built from abysm, an older form of abyss, plus the adjective suffix -al.

abyss

Greek

From Greek abyssos, "bottomless," from a- ("not") plus byssos ("depth") — describing a gulf so deep it has no floor.

abyssal

Origin

First attested in the 1690s. From Medieval Latin abyssalis, from Latin abyssus (“abyss”) + -alis (“-al”). Equivalent to abyss + -al.

abyssinia

Origin

From Renaissance Latin Abyssīnī (“the Abyssinians”), from Arabic الْحَبَشَة (al-ḥabaša), from حَبَش (ḥabaš, “Abyssinian”). The humorous use of Abyssinia as a parting phrase is due to its phonetic resemblance to I'll be seeing ya.

ac

Origin

An abbreviation, most commonly for "air conditioning" in everyday use.

acacia

Latin

From Greek akakia, likely referring to a thorny tree, via Latin acacia.

academia

New Latin

From New Latin academia, tracing back to the Academy, the grove near Athens where Plato taught his students.

academic

Latin

From Greek akademikos, referring to Plato's Academy, by way of Latin and French.

academically

Origin

From academic plus the adverb suffix -ally.

academist

Origin

From French académiste, from académie (“academy”).

academy

Latin

From Latin Academia, from Greek Akademia — the garden outside Athens named after the hero Akademos, where Plato taught.

Acapulco

Nahuatl

From Nahuatl, likely combining acatl ("reed") with elements meaning "big" and "place of" — roughly "place of big reeds."

accede

Origin

First attested in the early 15th century. From Middle English acceden, from Latin accēdō (“approach, accede”), formed from ad (“to, toward, at”) + cēdō (“move, yield”) (English cede). Compare French accéder. Unrelated to ascend, aside from the common ad prefix.

accelerant

Origin

From accelerate plus the suffix -ant, which forms nouns and adjectives describing something that performs an action.

accelerate

Latin

From Latin accelerare, "to hasten," built from ad- ("to") plus celerare ("to hasten"), from celer, "swift" — the same root as celerity.

acceleration

Latin

From Latin acceleratio, "a hastening," from accelerare, "to accelerate."

accelerator

Origin

From accelerate plus the agent suffix -or, "thing that does."

accent

Latin

From Latin accentus, "song added to speech," from ad- ("to") plus canere ("to sing") — literally a "singing toward" a word, referring to spoken stress.

accentuate

Latin

From Latin accentus (see accent) via the verb accentuare, "to add stress or emphasis to."

accept

Latin

From Latin acceptare, "to receive," built from ad- ("to") plus capere ("to take").

acceptability

Origin

From Latin acceptābilitās. By surface analysis, accept + -ability.

acceptable

Late Latin

From Old French acceptable, from Late Latin acceptabilis, "worthy of being accepted."

acceptably

Origin

From Middle English acceptably, equivalent to acceptable + -ly.

acceptance

French

From accept plus the noun-forming suffix -ance, influenced by French acceptance.

acceptation

Origin

From Middle English acceptacioun, acceptation, from Middle French acceptacion and Late Latin acceptātiō. By surface analysis, accept + -ation.

acceptilation

Origin

From Latin acceptilatio (“entry of a debt collected, acquittance”), from past participle of accipere (compare accept) + latio (“a carrying”), from latus, past participle of ferre (“to carry”).

acception

Origin

From Middle English accepcioun, from Middle French accepcion (Modern French acception) and Latin acceptiō, acceptiōnis (“acceptance”). By surface analysis, accept + -ion.

acceptor

Origin

From Middle English acceptour, from Latin acceptor, with the meanings from accept.

access

Latin

From Latin accessus, "an approach," from accedere ("to approach"), built from ad- ("to") plus cedere ("to go, move").

accessary

Origin

From Middle English accessarie, axcessary, excercary, from Medieval Latin accessārius.

accessibility

Latin

From Latin accessibilis, from accedere 'to approach', from ad- 'to' + cedere 'to go'.

accessible

Late Latin

From Late Latin accessibilis, based on accessus (see access).

accession

Origin

Ultimately from Latin accessiō(n), from accēdō (English accede). Cognate to French accession. First attested in 1646.

accessory

Medieval Latin

From Medieval Latin accessorius, related to accessus (see access) — something that "goes along with" the main thing.

accident

Latin

From Latin accidens, "happening," from accidere, "to fall upon" or "to occur," built from ad- ("to") plus cadere ("to fall").

accidental

Late Latin

From Late Latin accidentalis, based on accident.

accidentally

Origin

From accidental plus the adverb suffix -ly.

accidentary

Origin

From accident + -ary.

accidently

Middle English

From Middle English accidently, accidentli (“by chance; temporarily; artificially”), equivalent to accident + -ly.

accidie

Origin

From Middle English accidie, from Anglo-Norman accidie, Old French accide, accidie, from Late Latin accīdia, alteration of acēdia (“sloth, torpor”), from Ancient Greek ἀκήδεια (akḗdeia, “indifference”), from ἀ- (a-, “not”) + κῆδος (kêdos, “care”). Doublet of acedia.

accipient

Origin

Learned borrowing from Latin accipiēns (“receiving”, stem: accipient-), the present active participle of accipiō (“to receive”), whence accept.

acclaim

Latin

From Latin acclamare, "to shout at" or "to cheer," from ad- ("to") plus clamare ("to shout").

acclamation

Origin

* First attested in 1541. * Borrowed from Latin acclāmātiō, acclāmātiōnis (“calling, exclamation, shout of approval”), from acclamo (“shout approval or disapproval of, shout out at”), from ad (“toward”) + clamo (“cry out”) * Compare French acclamation.

acclivity

Origin

First attested in 1614. From Latin acclīvitās, from acclīvis (“ascending”), from ad + clīvus (“slope”).

accolade

French

From French "accolade," an embrace around the neck, from Latin "ad-" (to) plus "collum" (neck) — originally the ceremonial embrace or touch of a sword given when someone was knighted.

accommodate

Latin

From Latin accommodare, "to make fit," built from ad- ("to") plus commodus ("suitable, convenient") — the same root that gives us "commodity."

accommodation

Latin · 1600

From Latin accommodatio, "adjustment," from accommodare — see "accommodate." The meaning "a place to stay" only appeared in English around 1600.