English dictionary, thesaurus, translations & etymology

Etymology — The origins of English words

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.

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From Anglo-Norman mahaim ("mutilation"), ultimately from a Germanic root meaning "to cripple" — the everyday "chaos" sense developed later from the legal one.

From Middle English joifulliche, formed from joyful plus the adverb-forming suffix -ly.

From French duc, from Latin dux ("leader") — the same root as English "duke".

Formed from seed plus the diminutive suffix -ling, meaning "small young one" — the same pattern as "duckling."

From Middle English ugge, borrowed from Old Norse uggr, meaning fear or dread — the same root that eventually gave English the word "awe."

Old English · 1800

Short form of names of Old English origin beginning with Ethel-, æþele (“noble”). First used in the 19th century. Cognate to the Germanic Adela and Adele.

An English respelling of Acadien ("Acadian"), reflecting how the French-Canadian settlers who moved to Louisiana pronounced the word in their dialect.

From French débutante, the feminine form of a word meaning "one who is beginning."

From Afrikaans/Khoekhoe kanna, the traditional name for the plant Sceletium tortuosum.

From French sérénade, from Italian serenata, ultimately from Latin serenus, "calm" — evoking a calm evening performance.

From Anglo-Norman parlance, built on French parler, "to talk."

Borrowed from Late Latin prōductīvus, from the same root as produce.

Borrowed from French "prairie" ("meadow"), from Latin "pratum," meaning "meadow."

Borrowed from French plateau, a diminutive of plat, "flat" — the same root as "plate."

From French loquet, a diminutive related to Old English loc, "lock".

From French "précaution," from Latin "praecautio," from "praecavere" ("to guard against beforehand") — combining "prae" ("before") and "cavere" ("to be careful").

From "vehement" plus the adverb suffix -ly.

From French impressionnisme, named (originally mockingly) after Monet's painting "Impression, Sunrise."

From Latin tribunal, originally the raised platform where a Roman magistrate sat, itself derived from tribus, "tribe."

Borrowed from French auguste, itself from a German nickname (dumme August, "silly August") once used for a clumsy fool.

Traditionally explained as a feminine form of Atlantic.

Built from out- + reach — literally "a reaching out."

From an Old English word for twilight or darkness, related to a Germanic root meaning "to gleam or shimmer" — the same distant family as "glow."

From Middle English brocour, ultimately traced to an Old Dutch word for someone who determines trade customs — related to "brook" in its old sense of "to use" or "profit by."