"T" Word Origins

thematic

Origin

From Ancient Greek θεματικός (thematikós), from θέμα (théma, “theme”). Equivalent to theme + -atic.

thematise

Origin

From the stem of Ancient Greek θέμα (théma, “theme”) + -ise.

theme

Greek

From Greek théma, "something laid down or proposed," from tithēmi, "to put, place."

themed

Origin

From theme + -ed.

themself

Origin

From them + self, on the pattern of himself/herself, formed to match singular "they."

themselves

Origin

Formed from them + selves.

then

Old English

From Old English þonne — originally the same word as "than," which split off into a separate spelling for comparisons.

thenar

Origin

From Ancient Greek θέναρ (thénar).

thence

Middle English

From Middle English thennes, formed from thenne (\"then, from there\") plus an old adverb ending -es.

Theo

Origin

Short form of Theodore, or of the rare given names Theobald, Theophilus or Theodoric, or of Theodora.

theocracy

Greek

From Greek theos 'god' and -kratia 'rule, power'.

Theodora

Greek

The feminine form of Theodore, from Greek elements meaning "god" and "gift".

Theodore

Latin

From Latin Theodorus, borrowed from Greek Theodoros, from theos ("god") plus doron ("gift").

theologian

Old French

From Old French theologien, built from theology plus the agent suffix -ian.

theological

Origin

From theology plus the adjective ending -ical.

theologist

Origin

Borrowed from Medieval Latin theologista.

theology

Greek

From Greek theologia, built from theos ("god") plus logos ("word, study").

theorem

Greek

From Greek theorema ("proposition to be proved"), related to theoria ("theory") and theatre.

theoretical

Late Latin

From Late Latin theoreticus, from Greek theoretikos, related to theoria ("contemplation, theory").

theoretically

Origin

From theoretical plus the adverb ending -ly.

theoretician

Origin

From theoretic + -ician.

theorist

Origin

From theory plus the agent suffix -ist.

theorize

Origin

From theory + -ize. First use appears c. 1599 in the text A pil to purge melancholie.

theory

Greek

From Greek theoria ("contemplation, speculation"), from theoros ("spectator").

therapeutic

Greek

From Greek therapeutikos ("attentive, curative"), from therapeuo ("I attend to, treat, cure").

therapist

Origin

From therapy plus the agent suffix -ist.

therapy

Greek

From Greek therapeia ("service, medical treatment"), from therapeuo ("to serve, treat medically").

there

Old English

From Old English þǣr.

thereabout

Origin

From Middle English ther-aboute, ther-abouten (“of a place or an object: around there, in its vicinity; surrounding it; nearby, neighbouring; here and there, throughout that place; of an action, matter, etc.: about, concerning; of an amount or distance: approximately, more or less; of time: about then, around that time”) [and other forms], from Old English þǣrābūtan, þǣronbūtan, from þǣr (“there”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *só (“this; that”) + *-r) + abūtan, onbūtan (“about; round about; on; on the outside”) (from on- (prefix meaning ‘on; upon; there; thither; to’) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂en- (“on; onto”)) + būtan (“just, merely, only”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁ep- + *úd (“away; out; outwards; upwards”))). The English word is analysable as there + about. The word is attested earlier than thereabouts.

thereabouts

Middle English

From Middle English there-aboutes, built from there plus about plus an old adverb-forming -s ending.

thereafter

Old English

From Old English thaeraefter, formed from there plus after.

therebefore

Origin

From there + before.

thereby

Old English

From Old English thaerbig, formed from there plus by.

therefore

Middle English

From Middle English therfore, a fusion of there and for, reshaped over time as if from there plus fore.

therein

Old English

From Old English thaerin, formed from there plus in.

thereof

Old English

From Old English thaerof, formed from there plus of.

Theresa

Latin

First used in Spain, supposedly derived from Latin Thēra, from Ancient Greek Θήρᾱ (Thḗrā), name of a city in Santorini, Greece.

thereupon

Origin

From Middle English therupon, theruppon. Equivalent to there + upon. Compare German darauf.

therewhile

Origin

From there + while.

thermae

Origin

From Latin thermae, plural of therma. See thermal.

thermal

French

From French thermal, ultimately from Greek therme ("heat").

thermal paste

English

From thermal, relating to heat, plus paste.

thermic

Origin

Mid 19th century, from Ancient Greek θερμός (thermós, “heat”) + -ic.

thermite

German

From German Thermit, from Greek thermos ("heat") plus a chemical-sounding suffix.

thermodynamics

Origin · 1850

From thermo- ("heat") plus dynamics, first used in the 1850s.

thermometer

French

From French thermometre, built from thermo- ("heat") plus -meter ("measure").

thermonuclear

Origin

From thermo- ("heat") plus nuclear.

thermoregulator

Origin

From thermo- + regulator.