"O" Word Origins

ovoid

Origin

From Latin ōvum (“egg”) + -oid (“resembling”).

ovular

Origin

From ovule + -ar. In the feminist sense, chosen as an opposite to seminar because of that term's etymological link with semen, the male sexual fluid.

ovulation

Origin

From ovulate + -ion.

ovum

Origin

Borrowed from Latin ōvum (“egg”). Doublet of egg, ey, huevo, and oeuf.

owain

Origin

Borrowed from Welsh Owain. Doublet of Owen.

owe

Old English

From Old English āgan, "to own" or "possess" — the same root that gave us "own" and "ought."

Owen

Origin

From various origins. See below

Owens

Origin

From Owen + -s (patronymic suffix).

owie

Origin

From ow + the informal suffix -ie, which turns words into casual, often childlike forms.

owl

Old English

From Old English ūle, ultimately imitating the bird's cry, related to German Eule and Dutch uil.

own

Old English

From Old English āgen, originally the past participle of āgan ("to owe, possess") — the same root as "owe."

owndom

Origin

From own + -dom, a calque of German Eigentum (“property”), from eigen (“own”) + -tum (“-dom”). Compare Saterland Frisian Oaindum (“property, possession”), Dutch eigendom, West Frisian eigendom.

owner

Origin

From own + the agent-forming suffix -er.

ownership

Origin

From owner + -ship.

owt

Old English

From Old English āuht, the same root that gives "aught."

ox

Old English

From Old English oxa, from a Proto-Germanic root related to Proto-Indo-European *uksḗn; cognate with Welsh ych.

oxalic

Origin

Borrowed from French oxalique, from Oxalis (“the sorrel plant”).

oxalis

Origin

From the genus name Oxalis.

oxen

Old English

From Old English oxan, an old plural form that survives in modern English alongside children and brethren, going back to a Germanic root for "ox."

oxidation

French

From oxide, coined in French from Greek oxys 'sharp, acid' and the ending of acide, plus the noun ending -ation. Oxygen was originally named as the supposed acid-forming element.

oxide

French

Coined in French as a blend of "oxygène" and "acide," reflecting the fact that many oxides were originally understood through their role in forming acids.

oxlip

Origin

From Middle English *oxeslyppe, from Old English oxanslyppe (“oxlip”), from oxan, genitive of oxa (“ox”) + slyppe (“paste, slimy substance”). Compare cowslip, of similar formation.

Oxnard

Old English

From Old English oxanhierde, a compound of oxna + hierde, meaning oxherd. * (The city in California): Named after founding settler Henry T. Oxnard.

oxter

Origin

Apparently from Middle English *oxtere, *oxte, from Old English ōxta, ōhsta, related to Old English ōxn (“armpit”), Old English eax (“axis, axle”), and eaxl (“shoulder”), from Proto-West Germanic *ahslu (“shoulder”), from Proto-Germanic *ahslō (“joint of the shoulder”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱs- (“axis, axle”). See also axis and axon.

oxy

Origin

Shortened from "oxygen."

oxycodone

Origin

Built from "(hydr)oxy" plus "cod(eine)" plus the chemical suffix "-one," reflecting its structural relationship to codeine.

OxyContin

Origin

A trademarked name built from "oxycodone."

oxygen

French

Coined in French from Greek roots meaning "sharp/acid" and "birth/producer," because early chemists wrongly believed oxygen was essential to forming all acids.

oxygenase

Origin

From German Oxygenase, corresponding to oxygen + -ase.

oxygenate

Origin

From oxygen or French oxygéner + -ate (verb-forming suffix).

oxylith

Origin

From oxy- + -lith.

oxymoron

Greek

From Greek roots meaning "sharp" and "dull/foolish" — the word describing contradictions is itself a small contradiction.

oxytocic

Origin

Corruption of Ancient Greek ὠκυτόκος (ōkutókos), based on ὀξύς (oxús, “pointed”) instead of ὠκύς (ōkús, “swift”) + τόκος (tókos, “childbirth”).

oxytocin

Greek

From Greek roots meaning "swift" and "childbirth," reflecting its original discovery as a hormone that speeds up labour.

oy

Yiddish

Borrowed from Yiddish "oy," a similar exclamation of dismay.

oy vey

Yiddish

From Yiddish oy vey, literally 'oh, woe', where vey is related to German Weh, meaning pain or woe. The fuller form oy vey iz mir means 'oh, woe is me'.

oyabun

Japanese

Borrowed from Japanese, literally "foster parent," reflecting the family-like hierarchy of yakuza organisations.

Oyama

Japanese

Borrowed from Japanese 小山 (Oyama), 尾山 (Oyama) or 大山 (Ōyama).

oyster

Latin

From Old French "oistre," ultimately from Latin "ostrea" and Greek "ostreon."

Oz

Italian

The weight abbreviation comes from Italian "onza" (ounce); the Australia nickname is a playful respelling of "Aussie/Australia."

Ozaki

Japanese

Borrowed from Japanese 尾崎 (Ozaki).

Ozawa

Japanese

Borrowed from Japanese 小沢 (Ozawa).

ozone

German · 1840

From German "Ozon," coined in 1840 from Greek "ozein" ("to smell"), because of the gas's sharp odour.

Ozzie

Origin

From a diminutive form plus the informal suffix "-ie," also spelled "Aussie" for the Australian sense.

Ozzy

Origin

A clipped, informal form of names like Oswald, Oscar, or Osbourne, plus "-y."