"E" Word Origins

emulous

Origin

From Middle English emulous, from Latin aemulus (“striving to equal or excel, rivaling; in a bad sense, envious, jealous”) + -ous, from Ancient Greek ἁμιλλάομαι (hamilláomai, “strive, contend”), akin to Latin imitari (“to imitate”); see imitate.

emulsify

Latin

From 'emulsion', from Latin 'emulgere' (to milk out), from 'e-' (out) plus 'mulgere' (to milk), plus the suffix '-ify'.

emulsion

Latin

From Latin emulgere "to milk out", because the earliest emulsions resembled milk.

en

Latin · 1700

From the Latin name of the letter; the typographic sense (a unit half the width of an "em") dates to the late 18th century, by analogy with the letter M being wider than N.

en route

French

From French en route, literally "on the road".

enable

Middle English

From Middle English enablen, from en- + able.

enablement

English

From the verb 'enable', from 'en-' (to make, put into) plus 'able', with the noun-forming suffix '-ment'.

enact

Latin

From Middle English enacten, from en- ("to cause to be") plus Old French acte ("act, deed"), ultimately from Latin agere ("to do, drive").

enamel

Old French

From Anglo-Norman enamailler, ultimately from Old French esmail ("enamel"), traced back to a Frankish word related to "melt" or "smelt."

enamor

Origin

From Middle English enamouren, a late back-formation from enamoured, itself a partial calque of Old French enamore, past participle of enamorer, enamourer, equivalent to prefix en- + amor + -er. See amour, and compare inamorato.

enamorado

Origin

Borrowed from Spanish enamorado.

enamored

Old French

From Old French enamorer ("to inspire with love"), from amour ("love").

enby

English

A spelt-out pronunciation of the initialism NB, standing for 'non-binary'.

enbyphobia

Origin

From enby + -phobia, patterned on homophobia, transphobia, etc.

encampment

Origin

From encamp ("to set up a temporary camp") plus the noun suffix -ment.

encanker

Origin

From en- + canker.

encanto

Spanish

From Spanish encanto meaning charm or enchantment, from encantar to enchant, from Latin incantare to chant a spell over.

encaustic

Origin

From Ancient Greek ἐγκαυστικός (enkaustikós, “burning in”), from καίω (kaíō, “to burn”).

enceinte

Origin

Borrowed from French enceinte.

Enceladus

Latin

From Latin Enceladus, from Ancient Greek Ἐγκέλαδος (Enkélados).

encephalitis

Origin

From encephal- ("brain") plus -itis ("inflammation").

encephalon

Origin

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek ἐγκέφαλος (enképhalos, “within the head”), from ἐν (en, “in”) + κεφαλή (kephalḗ, “head”).

enchant

Latin

From Old French enchanter, from Latin incantare ("to chant a magic formula over"); a doublet of "incant."

enchanter

Origin

From Middle English enchantour, from Old French enchanteor (Modern French enchanteur), from Latin incantātor (“enchanter; spellcaster; conjurer”), from incantāre (“to sing, to consecrate with spells”). Doublet of incantator. Equivalent to enchant + -er.

enchantment

Old French

From Old French enchantement, from enchanter ("to enchant").

enchantress

Old French

From Old French enchanteresse, the feminine form of enchanteur ("enchanter").

enchilada

Spanish

From Spanish enchilada, literally "seasoned with chili," from enchilar ("to add chili to").

Encino

Spanish

From Spanish encino.

encircle

Origin

Formed from en- + circle, meaning "to put into a circle."

enclasp

Origin

From en- + clasp.

enclave

Origin

Borrowed from French enclave, from Middle French enclave (“enclave”), deverbal of enclaver (“to inclose”), from Old French enclaver (“to inclose, lock in”), from Vulgar Latin *inclāvāre (“to lock in”), from in + Latin clavis (“key”) or clavus (“nail, bolt”). Compare inlock.

enclosable

Origin

From enclose + -able.

enclose

Latin

From Old French enclore, ultimately from Latin includere ("to shut in"), from in- + claudere ("to shut"); related to "include."

encloser

Origin

From enclose + -er.

enclosure

Latin

From Old French enclosure, from enclore ("to enclose"), from Latin includere.

encode

English

Formed from the prefix en- "to put into" and code.

encomium

Origin

From Latin encōmium (“praise, eulogy”), from Ancient Greek ἐγκώμιον (enkṓmion, “laudatory ode, praise”), from ἐγκώμιος (enkṓmios, “of or pertaining to the victor”), from κῶμος (kômos, “festival, revel, ode”).

encompass

English

Formed from the prefix en- "in" and compass in its older sense of a circuit or extent.

encore

French

Borrowed directly from French encore, meaning "again" or "more."

encounter

Latin

From Old French encontrer ("to confront"), from encontre ("against"), ultimately from Latin in- + contra ("against").

encourage

Old French

From Old French encoragier, from en- + corage ("courage, heart").

encouragement

Middle French

Borrowed from Middle French encoragement.

encroach

Origin

From Middle English encrochen, from Old French encrochier (“to seize”), from Old French en- + croc (“hook”), of Germanic origin. More at crook.

encroachment

English

From encroach, from Old French encrochier "to seize, hook on to", from en- and croc "hook", with the noun suffix -ment.

encrypt

Origin

From en- + -crypt, from Ancient Greek κρυπτός (kruptós, literally “hidden, concealed, private, secret”).

encryption

Origin

Formed from encrypt plus the noun suffix -ion.

encumber

Origin

From Middle English encombren, from Old French encombrer, from en- + combrer (“to hinder”) (See cumber). By surface analysis, en- + cumber.

encumbrance

French

From Old French encombrance, from encombrer "to block up, obstruct".