"C" Word Origins

cyborg

Origin · 1960

A blend of "cybernetic" and "organism," coined by neuroscientist Manfred Clynes in 1960.

cycle

Ancient Greek

From Late Latin cyclus, from Ancient Greek kuklos ("circle"), from a very old Indo-European word for "wheel" — the same root that ultimately gives us "wheel" itself.

cycling

Origin

Formed from cycle plus the suffix -ing.

cyclist

Origin · 1882

Formed from cycle plus the agent suffix -ist, first recorded around 1882.

cyclohexatriene

Origin

From cyclo- + hexa- + tri- + -ene.

cyclone

Ancient Greek · 1840

Coined in the 1840s, probably by meteorologist Henry Piddington, from an Ancient Greek root related to kuklos ("circle") or kukloo ("to encircle") — the same family as "cycle" and "wheel."

cyclopaedia

Origin

From Ancient Greek κύκλος (kúklos, “circle”) + παιδεία (paideía, “child-rearing, education”). See cycle, and compare encyclopedia.

cyclopean

Origin

From cyclops + -ean.

cyclops

Ancient Greek

From Ancient Greek Kuklops, meaning literally "round-eyed," referring to the single round eye of the mythological giants.

cyclorama

Origin

From cyclo- + -rama (as in panorama).

cydonia

Origin

From Latin Cydonia, from Ancient Greek Κυδωνία (Kudōnía), q.v.

Cygnus

Ancient Greek

From Latin cygnus ("swan"), from Ancient Greek kuknos ("swan").

cylinder

Ancient Greek

From Ancient Greek kulindros, from kulindo ("I roll"), via Latin cylindrus and Middle French cylindre.

cylindrical

Latin

From Latin cylindricus, formed on cylinder plus the adjectival suffix -ical.

Cylon

Ancient Greek

Learned borrowing from Latin Cylōn, from Ancient Greek Κῠ́λων (Kŭ́lōn).

cymbal

Ancient Greek

From Latin cymbalum, from Ancient Greek kumbalon, from kumbe ("bowl") — describing its curved, bowl-like shape.

cymric

Origin

From Welsh Cymru (“Wales”) + -ic (adjective-forming suffix). By surface analysis, Cymru + -ic. Piecewise doublet of Cumbric and cognate with English Cambrian and Cymry.

Cyndi

Origin

20th-century variant spelling of Cindy.

cynegetic

Origin

PIE word *ḱwṓ Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek κῠνηγετῐκός (kŭnēgetĭkós), from κυνηγέτης (kunēgétēs, “hunter”) + -ῐκός (-ĭkós, suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’ forming adjectives); and κυνηγέτης (kunēgétēs) from κύων (kúōn, “dog”) + ἡγέτης (hēgétēs, “leader”).

cynic

Ancient Greek

From Ancient Greek kunikos, traditionally linked to kuon ("dog") because the early Cynic philosophers were mocked for their blunt, unrefined manners — though it may originally have come from the name of the gymnasium where the school first met.

cynical

Ancient Greek

From Latin cynicus, itself from Ancient Greek kunikos ("doglike"), the same root as the ancient philosophical school the Cynics.

cynicism

Ancient Greek

From cynic plus -ism; ultimately from Ancient Greek kunikos, the root of the ancient Cynic philosophical school.

Cynthia

Ancient Greek

From Ancient Greek Κυνθία (Kunthía), "of Mount Cynthus," the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis.

cynthian

Origin

From Cynthus + -ian and Cynthia + -ian. In sense 2, by metonymy for Artemis, Greek goddess of the Moon, whose mythical birthplace was the Cynthus.

cynthus

Origin

Borrowed from Latin Cynthus, from Ancient Greek Κύνθος (Kúnthos).

Cypher

German

Americanized spelling of German Seifer.

cypress

Late Latin

From Old French cipres, from Late Latin cypressus, ultimately from Greek kyparissos.

cyprian

Origin

From Latin Cyprianus.

Cyprus

Latin

From Latin Cyprus, from Greek Kupros, the ancient name of the island — also the source of the word "copper," which the Romans mined there.

Cyril

Ancient Greek

From Ancient Greek Κύριλλος (Kúrillos), from κύριος (kúrios, "lord, master").

Cyrus

Ancient Greek

From Ancient Greek Κῦρος (Kûros), from Old Persian kuruš.

cyst

Ancient Greek

From Late Latin cystis, from Ancient Greek kustis ("bladder, pouch"), from an ancient root meaning "to be hollow" or "to swell."

cystic

Ancient Greek

From Middle French cystique, ultimately from Ancient Greek kystis, "bladder" or "pouch."

cyte

Origin

Borrowed from Ancient Greek κῠ́τος (kŭ́tos, “hollow”, “vessel”); compare -cyte.

cytoplasm

Greek

From Greek kytos 'hollow vessel, cell' and plasma 'something moulded or formed'.

cytosmear

Origin

From cyto- + smear.

Czar

Latin

From Russian tsar, ultimately from Latin Caesar — the same root that gives German "Kaiser."

Czech

Proto-Slavic

Borrowed via Polish from Old Czech Čech, ultimately a shortened form of a Proto-Slavic word meaning "human being."

Czechoslovak

Origin

Formed by joining "Czech" and "Slovak," reflecting the union of the two peoples in one state.

Czechoslovakia

Origin

A blend of "Czecho-" (Czech) and "Slovakia."

czechoslovakian

Origin

From Czech + -o- + Slovak + -ian.