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 Old English deadlic, built from dead plus -lic (the ancestor of -ly), literally "death-like".

Formed from just plus the adverb-forming suffix -ly.

From indirect plus the adverb-forming suffix -ly.

From Middle English undoutedly, built from undoubted plus -ly.

From Old English leohtlice, formed from light + the adverbial suffix -ly.

From Middle English egerly; equivalent to eager + -ly.

From "hasty" plus the adverb-forming suffix "-ly."

Built from distinct plus the adverb-forming suffix -ly.

Formed from steady + the adverb suffix -ly.

Contrary to the popular belief that it blends French oui and German ja (both meaning "yes"), the name reportedly came from a word the board itself spelled out when asked what it should be called, during an 1890s séance.

From Middle English consequently, formed from consequent plus the adverb suffix -ly.

From exceeding + the adverb suffix -ly.

From Middle English pleinly, from "plain" plus the adverb suffix "-ly."

From electronic plus the adverb suffix -ally.

From prominent plus the adverb-forming suffix -ly.

A blend of "testis" (the source gland), the connecting vowel "-o-", and "-sterone", a suffix used for steroid hormones — the same family that gives us "cholesterol".

From Middle English douteles — doubt plus -less, "without."

From Middle English dredful, formed from dread plus -ful.

From Old French sentement, from Latin sentimentum, related to sentiō, "to feel."

From thorough plus the adverb-forming suffix -ly.

Built from anti- ("against") and depressant.

From lift + -ed.

From Middle English quietely, quyetly, equivalent to quiet + -ly.

From Middle English middes/myddest, reshaped from Old English midde ("middle") on the pattern of superlative endings like "-est".