"E" Word Origins

excusable

Origin

From Old French escusable, from Latin excusabilis.

excuse

Latin

From Old French excuser, from Latin excusare, "to free from blame" — ex- plus causa ("charge, cause").

EXE

English

A shortening of executable.

exec

Origin

A shortened form of "executive" or "execute."

execrate

Origin

From Latin exsecrārī, execrārī, from ex (“out”) + sacrāre (“to consecrate, declare accursed”).

execration

Origin

From Latin execrātiō.

execute

Latin

From Old French executer, from Latin exsequi, "to follow through" — ex- plus sequi ("to follow").

execution

Latin

From Latin exsecutio, from exsequi, "to follow out."

executioner

Origin

From execution + -er, "one who performs an execution."

executive

Latin

From Latin exsequi, "to follow through" — via Middle French executif.

executor

Latin

From Anglo-Norman executour, from Latin exsecutor, "one who carries out."

executrix

Origin

From Late Middle English executrice, executrix (“female executor; administrator of the law; wielder of fate”), from Medieval Latin execūtrīx (possibly through Anglo-Norman *executrice) from execūtor, exsecūtor (“accomplisher, performer; prosecutor, revenger”), + Latin -trīx (suffix forming feminine agent nouns). Exsecūtor is derived from Latin exsequor (“to follow after thoroughly, pursue persistently; (figurative) to execute, perform; to pursue with vengeance, avenge”) (from ex- (intensifying prefix) + sequor (“to follow, pursue”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sekʷ- (“to follow”))) + -tor (suffix forming masculine agent nouns). By surface analysis, execute + -trix (suffix forming feminine agent nouns).

exegesis

Greek

From Greek exēgēsis ('interpretation'), from exēgeisthai ('to lead out, explain'), from ex ('out') plus hēgeisthai ('to lead').

exemplar

Origin

From Middle English exempler, from Middle French exemplair, and its source, Latin exemplar, from Latin exemplum (“example”).

exemplary

Latin

From Latin exemplaris, from exemplum, "example, sample."

exemplificator

Origin

Learned borrowing from Latin exemplificātor.

exemplify

Origin

From Middle English exemplifien, from Middle French exemplifier and its etymon Medieval Latin exemplificō, from Latin exemplum (“example”).

exemplum

Origin

Learned borrowing from Latin exemplum. Doublet of example and sample.

exempt

Latin

From Latin exemptus, past participle of eximere, "to take out, remove."

exemption

Latin

From Latin exemptio, from eximere, "to take out, free."

exercise

Latin

From Old French exercise, from Latin exercitium, from exercere, "to keep busy, train."

exergy

Origin

The term "exergy" was coined in 1956 by Zoran Rant (1904–1972) from Ancient Greek ἐξ (ex, “out of, away from”) + ἔργον (érgon, “work”).

exert

Latin

From Latin exserere, "to thrust forth, stretch out" — ex- plus serere ("to bind, join").

exes

Origin

Backslang for six

exestuate

Origin

Borrowed from Latin exaestuātus, passive participle of exaestuō (“to boil up”). See estuate.

exestuation

Origin

Latin exaestuatio.

exfoliant

Latin

From Latin exfoliare, to strip of leaves, from ex- meaning off and folium meaning leaf.

exfoliate

Latin

From Latin exfoliare ('to strip of leaves'), from ex ('off') plus folium ('leaf').

exfoliation

Origin

From Latin exfoliare (to remove leaves).

exformation

Origin

From Danish eksformation, or from explicitly discarded information.

exhalation

Origin

From Latin exhālātiō, from exhālō (“to breathe out, to exhale”), from hālō (“to breathe”). Equivalent to exhale + -ation.

exhale

Latin

From Latin exhalare, "to breathe out" — ex- plus halare ("to breathe").

exhaust

Latin

From Latin exhaurire, "to draw out completely, drain" — ex- plus haurire ("to draw, drink").

exhaustedness

Origin

From exhausted + -ness.

exhausting

Latin

From "exhaust" (ultimately from Latin exhaurire, "to draw out completely") plus the "-ing" ending.

exhaustion

Latin

From Latin exhaustio, built on exhaurire, "to draw out" or "empty completely."

exhaustive

Origin

From the same root as "exhaust" — the idea of thoroughness comes from treating a subject until nothing is left to add.

exhibit

Latin

From Latin exhibitus, "held out" or "presented," from ex- ("out") plus habere ("to have, hold").

exhibition

Old French

From Old French exhibicion, built from "exhibit" plus the noun ending "-ion."

exhibitioner

Origin

From exhibition + -er.

exhibitionist

Origin

From "exhibition" plus the "-ist" ending, meaning "one who does."

exhibitor

Origin

Learned borrowing from Latin exhibitor. First attested in 1654. By surface analysis, exhibit + -or.

exhilarate

Origin

From Latin exhilarō (“to delight, to gladden, to make merry”), from ex- (“out, away”) (from Proto-Indo-European *h₁eǵʰs (“out”)) + hilarō (“to cheer, to gladden”), from hilaris (“cheerful, light-hearted, lively”), from Ancient Greek ἱλαρός (hilarós, “cheerful, merry”), from ἵλαος (hílaos, “gracious, kind, propitious”), from Proto-Indo-European *selh₂- (“comfort, mercy”). By surface analysis, ex- + Latin hilar(ō) + -ate.

exhilarating

Origin

Built from "exhilarate" (to make cheerful or excited) plus "-ing."

exhilaration

Latin

From "exhilarate" plus "-ion," ultimately from Latin hilaris, "cheerful" — the same root as "hilarious."

exhort

Origin

From Middle English exorten, from Old French exhorter, from Latin exhortārī (“to encourage”), from ex- (“out of, from”) + hortārī (“to incite, spur”).

exhortation

Latin

From Latin exhortatio, from exhortari ('to encourage strongly'), from ex- (intensifier) plus hortari ('to urge').

exhumation

Origin

From "exhume" plus "-ation."