"I" Word Origins

irresolution

Origin

Probably from Middle French irresolution (modern French irrésolution), from ir- + resolution (“resolution”); compare Italian irresoluzione. By surface analysis, ir- + resolution.

irresolvability

Origin

From ir- + resolve + -ability.

irrespective

Origin

Formed from ir- ("not") plus respective.

irrespirable

Origin

Either: * from ir- (prefix meaning ‘not’) + respirable; or * borrowed from French irrespirable, from Late Latin irrespīrābilis, from Latin ir- (a variant of in- (prefix meaning ‘not’)) + respīrāre + -ābilis (suffix meaning ‘able to be’). Respīrāre is the present active infinitive of respīrō (“to blow or breathe back; to breathe, respire; to breathe out, exhale”), from re- (prefix meaning ‘again; back, backwards’) + spīrō (“to blow; to breathe, respire; to breathe out, exhale”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)peys- (“to blow; to breathe”)).

irresponsibility

Origin

Formed from irresponsible plus -ity, or from ir- plus responsibility.

irresponsible

Origin

Formed from ir- ("not") plus responsible.

irresponsibly

Origin

From irresponsible + -ly or ir- + responsibly.

irreverence

Origin

From Middle English irreverence, from Latin irreverentia, from irreverēns (“irreverent”) + -ia (suffix forming abstract nouns). By surface analysis, ir- + reverence.

irreverent

Origin

From Latin irreverēns. By surface analysis, ir- + reverent.

irreversibility

Origin

From irreversible + -ity or ir- + reversibility.

irreversible

Origin

Formed from ir- ("not") plus reversible.

irreversibly

Origin

From irreversible + -ly or ir- + reversibly.

irrevocable

Latin

From Middle French irrévocable, from Latin irrevocabilis, built from ir- plus revoke plus -able.

irrevocably

Origin

Formed from irrevocable plus the adverb-forming suffix -ly.

irrigate

Latin

From Latin irrigatus, the past participle of irrigare, "to water" or "flood."

irrigation

Latin

Borrowed from Middle French irrigation, from Latin irrigatio.

irrigator

Origin

From irrigate + -or.

irritability

Latin

From Latin irritabilitas, formed from irritable plus -ity.

irritable

Latin

Borrowed from French irritable, from Latin irritabilis.

irritant

Origin

From French irritant, equivalent to irritate + -ant.

irritate

Latin

From Latin irritatus, past participle of irritare, "to excite or provoke."

irritation

Latin

Borrowed from Middle French irritation, from Latin irritatio, from irritare, "to excite."

irritative

Origin

From irritate + -ive.

irrupt

Origin

From Latin irruptus, past participle of irrumpō.

irruption

Origin

From Middle French irruption, from Latin irruptiō(n).

irt

Origin

Abbreviation.

iru

Origin

Borrowed from the Yoruba word irú.

Irvine

Welsh

Probably from Celtic roots related to Welsh ir/yr ("green, fresh") plus afon ("river").

Irving

Welsh

A variant of the Scottish surname Irvine, likely from a Celtic word related to Welsh ir/yr ("fresh") plus afon ("river").

Irwin

Old English

From the medieval given name Erwin, from Old English eofor ("boar") plus wine ("friend").

is

Old English

From Old English is. It does not descend from beon (the source of be and been) but from a separate ancient root, which also gives Latin est and German ist — the verb 'to be' in English is assembled from several originally distinct verbs.

Isa

Origin

As a female name, from Isabel/Isabella/Isabelle.

Isaac

Hebrew

From Hebrew Yitzhak, meaning "he laughs" — according to Genesis, a reference to his mother Sarah laughing when told she would have a child in old age.

isaacks

Origin

Variant of Isaacs.

Isabel

Spanish

From Spanish Isabel, ultimately from Hebrew Elisheva ("my God is an oath"), the same root as Elizabeth.

Isabela

Spanish

Borrowed from Spanish Isabela; the Philippine province is named after Queen Isabella II of Spain.

Isabella

Latin

The Latinate and Italian form of Isabel.

Isabelle

French

Borrowed from French Isabelle.

isagoge

Origin

Borrowed from Latin īsagōgē, from Ancient Greek εἰσαγωγή (eisagōgḗ, “lead-in”), from εἰς (eis, “into”) + ἀγωγή (agōgḗ, “to lead”).

Isaiah

Ancient Greek

From Ancient Greek Ēsaḯas, from Hebrew yəšaʿyā́hū.

Iscariot

Ancient Greek

From Ancient Greek Iskariotes, of uncertain original meaning, possibly linked to a place name.

ischemia

Origin

From New Latin ischaemia, from Ancient Greek ἴσχαιμος (ískhaimos, “stoppage of blood flow”), from ῐ̓́σχω (ĭ́skhō, “to hold back, restrain; to stay, stop”) + αἷμᾰ (haîmă, “blood”). The plural form ischemiae is also from New Latin ischaemiae.

ischium

Origin

17th century, from Latin ischium, from Ancient Greek ἰσχίον (iskhíon, “hip joint”).

Ise

Japanese

Borrowed from Japanese Ise (伊勢).

iseult

Origin

Old French, the name of the queen who fell in love with Tristan in medieval romance Tristan and Iseult, perhaps from Celtic, of uncertain meaning, possibly Proto-Brythonic *Adsiltia (“she who is gazed upon”); compare Welsh syllu and Irish súil. Otherwise from Germanic, equivalent to Old High German is (“ice”) + hiltja (“battle”) (from Proto-West Germanic *hildi).

ish

Origin

A back-formation from the suffix -ish, used informally as its own standalone word.

isha

Arabic

From Arabic ʕišāʔ ("evening, night"), as in ṣalātu l-ʕišāʔ ("night prayer").

Ishaan

Sanskrit

From Sanskrit īśāna, the name of a Hindu deity and guardian of the northeast direction.