"F" Word Origins

formal

Latin

From Old French formel, from Latin fōrmālis, from fōrma ("form").

formaldehyde

Origin

A blend of "form(yl)" and "aldehyde," reflecting its chemical structure.

formality

Middle French

From Middle French formalité, from formal + -ity.

formally

Origin

From formal + -ly.

format

Latin

From French format, ultimately from Latin liber formatus, "a book shaped" a certain way — the same root that gives us "form."

formation

Latin

From Latin formatio, "a shaping," from formare, "to form" — the same root behind "format" and "formula."

formative

Latin

From Latin formativus, "having the power to form," from formare, "to shape."

formed

Latin

From Latin forma, meaning shape or figure, via Old French former.

former

Old English

From Middle English former, the comparative of forme ("first"), from Old English forma — related to "first" and "fore."

formerly

Origin

From former + the adverb-forming suffix -ly.

formica

Origin

Originally a trademarked brand name that became a generic term for this type of laminate.

formicary

Origin

From Latin formica (“ant”) + -ary.

formidability

Origin

From Latin formīdō (“to fear, dread”) + -ability.

formidable

Latin

From Latin formidabilis, "causing fear," from formido, "dread."

formosa

Origin

From Portuguese Formosa, as in Ilha Formosa (literally “Beautiful Island”) and Vila Formosa da Imperatriz (literally “Beautiful Town of the Empress”), from formosa (“beautiful, shapely”), from Latin fōrmōsus (“beautiful, well-formed”), from fōrma (“shape”) + -ōsus (“-ful”), literally “shapeful”. The Brazilian city was named in honor of Empress Teresa Cristina, in the 1840s.

formula

Origin

Learned borrowing from Latin fōrmula (“a small pattern or mold, form, rule, principle, method, formula”), diminutive of forma (“a form”). See form.

formulate

Latin

From formula + the verb-forming suffix -ate, ultimately from Latin forma, "shape."

formulative

Origin

From formulate + -ive.

fornicate

Latin

From Latin fornicari, from fornix, "an arch or vaulted passageway" — a word also used for brothels, since prostitutes in ancient Rome often waited for clients under archways.

fornication

Latin

From Old French fornicacion, from Latin fornicatio, from fornix, "brothel."

fornicator

Origin

From Middle English fornicatour, from Medieval Latin fornicātor.

fornicatress

Origin

Compare French fornicatrice, Latin fornicatrix.

forpass

Origin

From for- + pass.

Forrest

Origin

English surname, from the noun forest. Also adopted and translated from the word for "forest" in various other languages by settlers.

forsake

Old English

From Old English forsacan, "to renounce or refuse," built from for- (a negating prefix) and sacan, "to dispute or contend."

forsaken

Origin

The past participle of forsake, formed with the old -n ending.

forsay

Origin

From Middle English forsayen (“to renounce”), from Old English forseċġan (“to accuse, accuse falsely, slander, speak about, discourse on”), equivalent to for- + say. Cognate Dutch verzeggen (“to deny, forbid”), German Low German verseggen (“to refuse, deny”), German versagen (“to refuse, deny”), Swedish försäga (“to misspeak, say too much”). More at for-, say.

forshape

Origin

From Middle English forshapen, forschapen (“to transform”), from Old English forsċieppan, forsċeppan (“to transform”), from Proto-West Germanic *fraskappjan, equivalent to for- + shape. Cognate with German verschaffen (“to provide, supply, furnish”), Swedish förskapa (“to cut out”).

forslow

Origin

From Middle English forslowen, forslewen (“to neglect”), from Old English forslāwian, forslǣwan (“to be slow, unwilling, delay, put off”), equivalent to for- + slow.

forsooth

Origin

From Middle English forsothe, forsoþe, for sothe, from Old English for sōþ (“truly, for certain, forsooth”), equivalent to for (“for, by”) + sooth (“truth”).

forspeak

Origin

From Middle English forspeken (“to bewitch”), from Old English forspecan, forsprecan (“to speak in vain; to speak amiss; to denounce; to deny”); analysable as for- + speak.

Forster

French

* As an English surname, from the noun forester. * Also as an English surname, borrowed from French fustrier (“blockmaker”), from fustre (“baulk of timber”). * As a French and Norman surname, from Old French forcetier (“cutter”), from forcettes (“scissors”). * As a German surname, spelling variant of Förster and Först (both related to Forst (“forest”)).

forswart

Origin

From Middle English forswarten, equivalent to for- + swart.

forswear

Origin

From Middle English forsweren, from Old English forswerian (“to swear falsely”). Cognate with Old Saxon farswerian, Old High German farsweren, German verschwören. More at for- + swear.

Forsyte

Origin

Variant of Forsythe.

Forsythe

Origin

Anglicized form of the Scottish Gaelic personal name Fearsithe, composed of the elements fear (“man”) + sìth (“peace”).

fort

Latin

From Old French fort, "strong," from Latin fortis. It shares this root with "forte" and "fortify."

forte

French

From French fort, "strong," reshaped in English to a two-syllable pronunciation by association with the unrelated Italian musical term forte, also meaning "strong" or "loud."

Fortescue

Old French

From Old French "fort escu," meaning "strong shield."

forth

Old English

From Old English forth, related to Proto-Germanic roots shared with "fore" and "before."

forthbring

Origin

Inherited from Middle English forthbringen, from Old English forþbringan (“to bring forth, produce, bring to pass, accomplish, bring forward, adduce, quote”), from Proto-West Germanic *forþbringan (“to bring forth”); equivalent to forth- + bring. Cognate with Dutch voortbrengen (“to produce, generate, create”), German fortbringen (“to carry forth, carry away”).

forthcoming

Origin

From forth ("forward") plus coming, echoing an older phrase describing something that "comes forth" or appears.

forthink

Origin

From Middle English forthinken, forthynken (“to displease, cause to regret”), corresponding to for- (“mis-”) + think (“to seem, appear”), from Old English þyncan (“to seem, appear”); see methinks. Cognate with Middle High German verdunken (“to displease”), Icelandic forþykkja (“to displease”). Compare also Old English forþencan (“to mistrust, despise, despair”), Dutch verdenken (“to suspect”), German verdenken (“to blame”).

forthputting

Origin

From forth- + putting.

forthright

Old English

From Old English forthriht, "direct, straightforward" — built from forth and right.

forthrightness

Origin

From Middle English forthrightnesse, forþriȝtnesse, equivalent to forthright + -ness.

forthwith

Middle English

From Middle English forth-with, "at once," combining forth and with.

forthy

Origin

From Middle English forthy, from Old English forþȳ, for þȳ þe, forþon (“because, since”), from for + þȳ, þon (“by that, therefore”), instrumental case of þæt (“that”); Cognate with Yola farthoo (“why”), Old Norse fyrir því (at) (Danish & Norwegian fordi (“because”), Swedish för att). More at for, the, that.