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 Middle English softely, built from soft plus the adverb-forming -ly.

From Middle English deliteful, delitfull, equivalent to delight + -ful.

From Middle English stateli, formed from state plus the adjective ending -ly.

From proceed + -ing.

From Old English sadol, from Proto-Germanic *sadulaz — likely tracing to a root meaning "to sit."

From Latin Caesar; the root behind titles like Kaiser and tsar.

Built from "bond" plus "man" — someone who stands behind another person's bond.

From "blood" plus "thirsty," picturing a craving for blood.

From cry + -ing.

From "blood" plus "lust," describing a craving for bloodshed.

Originally the past participle of "behold," it drifted over time to mean "obligated" rather than "seen."

From Middle English "baulen," related to Old Norse and Latin words for bellowing or roaring, ultimately imitating the sound itself.

From Middle English renewen, reshaped from earlier anewen, ultimately from Old English niewian, "to restore."

From back + drop.

From auction plus the suffix -eer, which marks someone who does or deals in something (as in engineer, profiteer).

From Middle English mengle, built on the older verb "ming" (to mix) plus the frequentative suffix "-le."

From Middle English enablen, from en- + able.

Borrowed directly from Māori hui, meaning "gathering" or "assembly."

From arm + band.

* (drunk): Perhaps from airlocked.

From fancy + -ed.

Old Norse · 1300

Past participle of "trust," from Old Norse traust ("confidence, firmness"), used since the 1300s in English as an adjective describing something or someone reliable.

The past participle of "hate," from Old English hatod.

From "Arabia" plus the suffix "-an", meaning "belonging to".