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 in- ("not") + determinate, from Latin determinare ("to limit, fix boundaries").

From inadvertent plus the adverb-forming suffix -ly.

From sense + the adjective-forming suffix -ory.

From Latin caerimonialis, related to ceremony.

From Old English biternes, built from bitter plus the noun-forming suffix -ness.

A variant spelling of "squat," originally describing a quick striking motion.

From Middle English rollere, formed from roll plus the agent suffix -er.

From Old French gernier, ultimately from Latin grānārium, "granary" — garner and granary are doublets sharing the same Latin ancestor.

Named by C. S. Lewis after Narni, an Italian town whose Latin name was Narnia.

From Latin magistratus, related to magister ("master").

From Late Latin indemnitas, "security from damage," from Latin indemnis ("unharmed"), from in- ("not") + damnum ("damage, loss").

A later, Latinized respelling of Middle English endytement, from Old French enditer, "to accuse."

From friendly plus the noun-forming suffix -ness.

From groove plus "-y" — originally describing music that had a good rhythmic "groove," later broadened to mean cool or fashionable in general, especially tied to 1960s counterculture.

From Old French encontrer ("to confront"), from encontre ("against"), ultimately from Latin in- + contra ("against").

From Old English bēacnian, "to signal," related to "beacon" — both come from a Germanic root meaning "sign" or "signal."

From Latin serratus, "shaped like a saw," from serra ("saw").

Formed from steam + -ing.

A learned borrowing from Latin cerebellum, the diminutive of cerebrum ("brain") — literally "little brain".

Formed from court plus yard.

From Late Latin indifferentia, from in- ("not") + differre ("to differ").

From Old French recreacion, from Latin recreatio, "restoration, refreshment."

From Old English spreawlian ("to move convulsively"), related to "sprout".

From Old French bonet, related to a Germanic word for something bound or tied together, ultimately connected to "bundle."