"E" Word Origins

eructation

Origin

Learned borrowing from Latin ērūctātiōnem, accusative of ērūctātiō (“a belching forth, burp”), from ērūctāre (“to belch, burp”). Compare Middle English eructuacioun (“belching, burp”), borrowed from the same root.

erudite

Latin

From Latin ērudītus, "trained, learned," originally meaning "freed from rudeness" — from e- ("out of") plus rudis ("rough, unskilled").

erudition

Origin

First attested in the 15th Century. From Middle French érudition, from Latin eruditio (“an instructing, learning, erudition”), from erudire (“to instruct, educate, cultivate”, literally “free from rudeness”), from e (“out”) + rudis (“rude”). By surface analysis, erudite + -ion.

erupt

Latin

From Latin ēruptus, past participle of ērumpere, "to burst out," from e- ("out") plus rumpere ("to break").

eruption

Latin

From Latin eruptio, "a bursting out," from the verb ērumpere — the same root as "erupt."

eruptive

Origin

From French éruptif. By surface analysis, erupt + -ive.

erw

Origin

Borrowed from Welsh erw.

erythema

Origin

From New Latin erythēma, from Ancient Greek ἐρύθημα (erúthēma, “a redness or flush on the skin”), from ἐρυθρός (eruthrós, “red”).

erythrite

Origin

From erythr- + -ite.

escalade

Latin

From French escalade, from Italian scalata ("a climb"), from scala, "ladder" — ultimately from Latin scālae, "ladder" or "stairs." The same root gives us "scale" (to climb) and "escalator."

Escalante

Spanish

Borrowed from Spanish Escalante.

escalate

Origin · 1900

A back-formation from "escalator" — the verb was invented from the noun, not the other way around, in the early 20th century.

escalation

Origin

From "escalate" plus the noun-forming suffix -ion.

escalator

Latin · 1900

Coined around 1900 from Latin ē- ("out of") plus scala ("ladder") plus the agent suffix -tor — originally a trademark for the moving-stair device before becoming a generic word.

escalatory

Origin

From escalate + -ory.

escallop

Origin

From Middle French escalope.

escapade

French

From French escapade, itself from Spanish escapada, from escapar, "to escape."

escape

Vulgar Latin

From Old French eschaper, ultimately from Vulgar Latin *excappāre — literally "to get out of one's cape," from Latin ex- ("out") plus cappa ("cloak"). The image is of slipping out of a garment to get away.

escapee

Origin

From "escape" plus the suffix -ee, which marks the person the action happens to or who performs it.

escargot

French

Borrowed directly from French escargot, "snail."

escarpment

Origin

Borrowed from French escarpement. By surface analysis, escarp + -ment.

eschaton

Origin

Borrowed from Ancient Greek ἔσχατον (éskhaton, “last thing”), from the neuter singular of ἔσχατος (éskhatos, “last”).

Escher

German

From German Escher.

eschew

Old French

From Old French eschiver ('to shun, avoid'), of Germanic origin and related to the root behind English 'shy'.

eschscholzia

Origin

From translingual Eschscholzia, the genus name.

Escobar

Spanish

Borrowed from Spanish Escobar.

escort

French

From French escorte, from Italian scorta, "a guiding or guard."

escrow

Old French

From Old French escroe, "a scrap or strip of parchment" (used for the document recording the agreement), related to the word "shred."

esculent

Origin

Learned borrowing from Latin ēsculentus (“fit for eating, eatable, edible; good to eat, delicious; nourishing; full of food”) + English -ent (suffix forming adjectives with the sense of causing, doing, or promoting a certain action). Ēsculentus is derived from ēsca (“food; dish prepared for the table; bait”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁ed- (“to eat”)) + -ulentus (suffix meaning ‘abounding in, full of’ forming adjectives).

ese

Spanish

Borrowed from Mexican Spanish ése, literally "that one."

esker

Origin

From Irish eiscir (“esker, glacial ridge”).

Eskimo

French · 1500

Recorded in English since the 16th century, borrowed via French from an Algonquian-language source, long thought to mean "eater of raw meat" though most linguists now trace it to a word meaning "snowshoe-netter."

esky

Origin

From Esky (“brand name”), a brand name originally owned by Malley's Ltd, of Sydney, Australia, from 1952; since genericised. From Esk(imo) + -ie.

ESL

English

An initialism of 'English as a Second Language'.

Esme

French

Anglicized spelling of French Esmé.

Esmeralda

Spanish

From Spanish esmeralda (“emerald”), as first used in the novel Notre-Dame de Paris (1831) by Victor Hugo.

ESOL

English

An initialism of English for Speakers of Other Languages.

esoteric

Ancient Greek

From Ancient Greek esōterikos, "belonging to an inner circle," from esōterō, "further within" — originally used for the private teachings Greek philosophers reserved for their closest students, as opposed to public lectures.

ESP

English

An initialism of 'extrasensory perception' in the main sense; the written abbreviation 'esp.' is simply a clipping of 'especially'.

espada

Spanish

From Spanish espada, "sword," referring to the matador's role in delivering the final blow.

Esparza

Spanish

Borrowed from Spanish Esparza, a habitational surname from Basque Espartza.

especial

Origin

From Middle English especial, via Old French especial, from Latin specialis, from species (“appearance, form, beauty”), from specere (“to look”). Doublet of special. Related to species.

especially

Latin

From "especial" plus the adverb suffix -ly — "especial" itself traces back to Latin specialis, "of a particular kind."

esperanza

Latin

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *speh₁- Proto-Indo-European *-s Proto-Indo-European *spéh₁s Proto-Italic *spēs Latin spēs Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Italic *-āō Latin -ō Latin spērō Latin spērāns Old Spanish esperança Spanish esperanzabor. English esperanza Borrowed from Spanish esperanza (“hope”).

espial

Origin

From Middle English espiaille, from Old French espier (“to watch”).

espionage

French

From French espionnage, from espionner, "to spy," ultimately from a Germanic root meaning "to peek" or "to watch closely" — the same root behind "spy."

esplanade

Origin

1590s, from French esplanade (“clear, level space”), from either Spanish esplanada (explanada), form of esplanar (“to flatten, to make level”) or Italian spianata, form of spianare (of the same meaning), both from Latin explānāre, from which English explain; see also plain (“level area, to flatten”).

Esposito

Italian

From Italian "esposito," meaning exposed, historically applied to foundling children.