"E" Word Origins

exceed

Latin

From Old French exceder, from Latin excedere, "to go beyond," from ex- ("out") + cedere ("to go, yield") — the same root as "cede" and "accede."

exceeding

Origin

From exceed + the suffix -ing.

exceedingly

Origin

From exceeding + the adverb suffix -ly.

excel

Latin

From Old French exceller, from Latin excellere, "to rise high, tower above" — from ex- ("out") plus a root related to "culmen" (top, summit), the same root as "culminate."

excellence

Latin

From Old French excellence, from Latin excellentia, built on excellere (see "excel").

Excellency

Latin

From Latin excellentia, the same root as "excellence."

excellent

Latin

From Old French excellent, from Latin excellens, the present participle of excellere (see "excel").

excellently

Origin

From excellent + the adverb suffix -ly.

excelsior

Latin · 1841

From Latin excelsior, "higher," the comparative of excelsus ("high"). The rallying-cry sense comes from Longfellow's 1841 poem "Excelsior" and was later popularized by Marvel editor Stan Lee.

except

Latin

From Middle French excepter, from Latin exceptus, "taken out."

exception

Latin

From Old French excepcion, from Latin exceptio, built on the same root as "except."

exceptional

Origin

From exception + the adjective suffix -al.

exceptionally

Origin

From exceptional + the adverb suffix -ly.

excerpt

Latin

From Latin excerptum, the past participle of excerpere ('to pluck out'), from ex ('out') plus carpere ('to pluck').

excess

Latin

From Old French exces, from Latin excessus, "a going beyond," from excedere (see "exceed").

excessive

Medieval Latin

From Old French excessif, from Medieval Latin excessivus, built on excess.

excessively

Origin

From excessive + the adverb suffix -ly.

exchange

Origin

From Middle English eschaunge, borrowed from Anglo-Norman eschaunge, from Old French eschange (whence modern French échange), from the verb eschanger, from Vulgar Latin *excambiāre (from Latin ex with Late Latin cambiō). Spelling later changed on the basis of ex-, with pronunciation following. By surface analysis, ex- + change.

exchequer

Medieval Latin

From Anglo-Norman escheker, "chessboard," from Medieval Latin scaccarium — so named because medieval treasurers counted money on a chequered cloth resembling a chessboard.

excipient

Origin

Borrowed from Latin excipiēns, present participle of excipiō. See except.

excise

Latin

From Middle Dutch excijs, reshaped under the influence of Latin excisus ("cut out"), though the tax sense actually traces back to Old French acceis ("assessment").

excision

Origin

From Middle French excision, from Latin excīsiō(n).

excitable

Origin

From excite + the adjective suffix -able.

excitation

Origin

From Middle English excitacion, excitacioun, from Old French excitation, from Latin excitātiō. Morphologically excite + -ation.

excite

Latin

From Old French exciter, from Latin excitare, "to call forth or rouse" — from ex ("out") plus ciere ("to set in motion").

excited

Origin

From excite + -ed.

exciteful

Origin

From excite + -ful.

excitement

Middle English

From Middle English excitement, from Old French excitement, equivalent to excite + -ment.

exclaim

Latin

From Latin exclamare, "to call out" — ex ("out") plus clamare ("to shout").

exclamation

Latin

From Latin exclamatio, from exclamare, "to cry out."

exclude

Latin

From Latin excludere, "to shut out" — ex ("out") plus claudere ("to close").

exclusion

Latin

From Latin exclusio, from excludere, "to shut out."

exclusive

Latin

From Latin exclusivus, from excludere, "to shut out."

exclusively

Middle English

From Middle English exclusyvely; equivalent to exclusive + -ly.

excogitate

Origin

From Latin excōgitāre, from ex- + cōgitāre (“think”).

excommunication

Late Latin

From Late Latin excommunicatio, from excommunicare, "to put outside the community."

excoriate

Origin

First attested in the first part of the 15ᵗʰ century, in Middle English; inherited from Middle English *excoriaten (only attested in its past participle), borrowed from Late Latin excoriātus perfect passive participle of excoriō (“to take the skin or hide off, flay, skin”), from ex- (“out off, from”) + corium (“hide, skin”) + -ō. Regular participial usage of the adjective up until Early Modern English, later archaic.

excrement

Latin

From Latin excrementum, from excernere, "to sift out, excrete."

excrementitious

Origin

Adapted borrowing of New Latin excrēmentītius + -ous. By surface analysis, excrement + -itious.

excreta

Origin

From Latin excrēta, neuter plural of excrētus, past participle of excernere.

excrete

Origin

Borrowed from Latin excrētum, past participle of excernō, from ex- (“out”), and cernō (“separate”).

excretion

Origin

Borrowed from Middle French excrétion, or Late Latin excretio, excretionis, from Latin excerno.

excruciate

Origin

From Latin excruciātus, past participle of excruciō, from ex- + cruciō, from the base of crux (“cross”).

excruciating

Latin

From Latin excruciare, "to torment" — ex- plus cruciare ("to torture"), from crux ("cross").

exculpate

Origin

From Medieval Latin exculpātus, perfect passive participle of exculpō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from ex- (“out, from”) + culpa (“fault; blame”) + -ō (verb-forming suffix).

exculpation

Origin

Borrowed from Medieval Latin exculpātiō. By surface analysis, exculpate + -ion.

excursion

Latin

From Latin excursio, "a running out," from excurrere, "to run out" — ex- plus currere ("to run").

excursus

Origin

Learned borrowing from Latin excursus (“excursion”). Doublet of excurse.