English dictionary, thesaurus, translations & etymology

"T" Word Origins

Where do words come from? Trace the origin and history of any English word, from its Latin, Greek or Old English roots through to its modern meaning. Every etymology is sourced.

“T” Word Origins

From type + setter.

A straightforward combination of "type" and "writer" — a machine that writes in type.

Formed from "typhus" plus the ending "-oid," meaning "resembling," since the two diseases produce similar symptoms.

The word likely traces back to an Arabic term for a violent storm, itself possibly rooted in a Chinese phrase for "big wind," and was reshaped in English under the influence of an old Greek word for whirlwind.

From a Greek word meaning "fever" or "stupor," related to a verb meaning "to smoke," describing the clouded mental state the disease can cause.

From Late Latin typicalis, based on Latin typicus, tracing to the Greek word for "type" or "mark."

Formed by adding the adverb ending -ly to "typical."

The -ing form of "type," used as a verb since typewriters and keyboards came into use.

Formed from "type" plus the agent suffix "-ist," meaning "a person who does."

A shortened form of "typographical error."

From typography + -er.

From French typographie from Medieval Latin typographia from Ancient Greek τυπογράφος (tupográphos, “certified copy”) + -ίᾱ (-íā). By surface analysis, type + -o- + -graphy.

From Old Norse Týr, from Proto-Germanic *Tīwaz, from Proto-Indo-European *dyew- (“god”). Doublet of Tiw.

From Latin tyrannicus, based on the Greek word for an absolute ruler or despot.

From French tyrannicide, from Middle French tyrannicide, from Latin tyrannicīdium. Equivalent to tyrant + -cide.

From Middle French tyranniser, equivalent to tyranny + -ize.

From Greek words meaning "tyrant" and "lizard" combined — literally "tyrant lizard."

From Old French tyrannie, ultimately from the Greek word for the rule of an absolute ruler or tyrant.

From Old French tyrant, ultimately from the Greek word for a usurper or absolute ruler.

From tyrant + -hood.

From tyrant + -ship.

Middle English · 1800

Traces back to a Middle English word related to "attire," describing the wheel's outer covering; the spelling "tyre" became standard in British English during the 1800s.

Shortened from McIntyre.

Uncertain, possibly a Blend of Tyrone + Reese or Maurice

From Tyre + -ian.

Maybe ultimately from Celtic *tir (“land”), from Proto-Celtic *tīros from Proto-Indo-European *ters- (“dry”), i.e. "dry land".

From Irish Tír Eoghain (literally “land of Eoghan”).

Perhaps from a Norman nickname for a stubborn person, from Old French tirel (“an animal which pulls on the reins”), a derivative of tirer (“to pull”). Woulfe suggests that it may be from the personal name Thurold or Þorvaldr, from Old Norse Þórr (“Thor”) + valdr (“rule”).

An initialism of 'thank you so much'.

* A variant of Tison. A nickname from Old French tison (“firebrand”). * A patronymic English surname, variant of Dyson, from Dennis + -son. * In the US, adopted by a German family who came to America (Germantown, PA) in 1683, originally named German Teisen "son of Theiss", which was short for Matthias. Original spellings were Theisen, Theissen, Teisen, Teison.

An initialism of 'take your time'.