"S" Word Origins

synaptic

New Latin

From New Latin synapticus, based on Greek synaptikos, "capable of joining."

sync

Origin

A shortened form of "synchronization."

synchro

Origin

A shortening of "synchronized" or "synchronization."

synchroneity

Origin

From synchronous + -ity.

synchronical

Origin

Compare French synchronique.

synchronicity

Origin · 1920

Coined from "synchronous" plus "-icity"; the meaningful-coincidence sense was introduced by the psychologist Carl Jung in the 1920s.

synchronise

Origin

From Ancient Greek συγχρονίζω (sunkhronízō), equivalent to syn- + chrono- + -ise.

synchronization

Origin

From "synchronize" plus the noun-forming suffix "-ation."

synchronize

Ancient Greek

From Ancient Greek synkhronizo, built from syn- ("together") and khronos ("time").

synchronous

Greek

From Greek syn- 'together' and chronos 'time', via Late Latin synchronus.

syncope

Origin

Learned borrowing from Late Latin syncopē, from Ancient Greek συγκοπή (sunkopḗ), from συγκόπτω (sunkóptō, “cut up”) + -η (-ē, nominalization suffix), from σύν (sún, “beside, with”) + κόπτω (kóptō, “strike, cut off”). Partly continues the (near-)doublets syncopis and sincopin, both from the Old French sincopin (“faintness”) (itself from Late Latin accusative syncopen), with the pathological meaning "a loss of consciousness accompanied by a weak pulse", attested from the fifteenth century. Usage in the form syncope, with the phonological meaning "contraction of a word by omission of middle sounds or letters" attested from the 1520s. Syncopis and sincopin were "re-Latinized" to the form syncope in English in the sixteenth century. The musical usage first occurs after the 1660s, following the musical usage of syncopation and syncopate.

syncretism

Origin

From Latin syncretismus, from Ancient Greek συγκρητισμός (sunkrētismós, “federation of Cretan cities”), from συγκρητίζω (sunkrētízō, “to unite against a common enemy”), from σύν (sún, “together”) (see English syn-) + Κρῆτες (Krêtes, “Cretans”). By surface analysis, syn- + Crete + -ism (“Crete joining together”).

syndactyly

Origin

From syn- + Ancient Greek δάκτυλος (dáktulos, “finger”) + -y.

syndicate

Ancient Greek

From French syndicat ("board of representatives"), from syndic, ultimately from Ancient Greek sundikos, "advocate for a defendant" — built from syn- ("with") and dike ("justice").

syndication

Origin

From the verb syndicate (1925).

syndicator

Origin

From syndicate + -or.

syndrome

Ancient Greek

From Ancient Greek syndrome, "a running together" or "concurrence" — from syn- ("with") and dromos ("running, course").

syne

Middle English

From Middle English syne, a shortened form of "sithen," meaning "since."

synergy

Ancient Greek

From Ancient Greek sunergia, "cooperation," from syn- ("with, together") and ergon ("work").

synod

Ancient Greek

From Ancient Greek sunodos, "assembly, meeting" — from syn- ("with") and hodos ("way, path").

synonymic

Origin

From synonym + -ic, after French synonymique.

synonymous

Ancient Greek

From Ancient Greek sunonumos, built from syn- ("together, alike") and onoma ("name").

synopsis

Ancient Greek

From Ancient Greek sunopsis, "a general view," from syn- ("together, whole") and opsis ("view").

synoptic

Origin

From New Latin synopticus, from Ancient Greek συνοπτικός (sunoptikós, “seeing the whole together or at a glance”), from σύνοψις (súnopsis, “a general view, synopsis”), from συν- (sun-, “with”) + ὄψις (ópsis, “view”).

synoptically

Origin

From synoptic + -ally.

synoptist

Origin

From synopt(ic) + -ist.

syntax

Ancient Greek

From Ancient Greek suntaxis, "arrangement," from syn- ("together") and tassein ("to arrange").

syntaxis

Origin

From the Late Latin syntaxis, from the Ancient Greek σύνταξις (súntaxis). Doublet of syntax.

synth

Origin

A shortening of "synthesizer."

synthesis

Ancient Greek

From Ancient Greek sunthesis, "a putting together," from syntithemi, "to combine" (syn-, "together," plus tithemi, "to set, place").

synthesist

Origin

From synthesize + -ist.

synthesize

Origin · 1830

From "synthesis" plus "-ize," first recorded in this verb form around 1830.

synthesizer

Origin

From "synthesize" plus the agent suffix "-er."

synthetic

Ancient Greek

From French synthétique, from Ancient Greek sunthetikos, related to "synthesis."

syntropy

Origin

By surface analysis, syn- + -tropy. First attested in 1871, in the anatomical sense.

syphilis

Origin · 1530

The name comes from a 1530 poem by Girolamo Fracastoro about a shepherd named Syphilus who was struck with the disease as punishment for offending the god Apollo.

Syracuse

Ancient Greek

From Latin Syracusae, from Ancient Greek Surakousai, a name of uncertain but possibly Phoenician origin.

Syria

Ancient Greek

From Latin Syria, from Ancient Greek Suria, likely a shortened form of "Assyria," though the two names came to refer to different regions over time.

Syrian

Origin

From "Syria" plus the adjective-forming suffix "-an."

syringa

Origin

From Dutch or Middle Low German from Latin sȳrinx from Ancient Greek σῦριγξ (sûrinx, “pan pipes”).

syringe

Ancient Greek

From Latin syrinx, "reed, pipe," borrowed from Ancient Greek surinx.

syrt

Origin

Borrowed from Russian сырт (syrt), from Kyrgyz сырт (sırt), from Proto-Turkic *sïrt (“highland; ridge; backbone”).

syrtis

Origin

From Latin syrtis, from Syrtis (“Sirte, Gulf of Syrtis”), from Ancient Greek Σύρτις (Súrtis), an area of Libya proverbially treacherous for sailing owing to the effect of wind and waves on its quicksand. Doublet of Sirte.

syrup

Medieval Latin

From Old French sirop, from Medieval Latin syrupus, ultimately from Arabic sharab, "a drink" — the same root behind "sherbet" and "sorbet."

system

Ancient Greek

From Late Latin systema, "an organized whole," from Ancient Greek sustema, from sunistemi, "to combine, organize" (syn-, "together," plus histemi, "to stand").

systematic

Late Latin

From Late Latin systematicus, from Greek sustematikos, related to "system."

systematically

Origin

From "systematic" plus the adverb-forming suffix "-ally."

systemic

Origin

From "system" plus the adjective-forming suffix "-ic."