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 Latin antarcticus, from Ancient Greek antarktikos, literally "opposite the Arctic."

Named after the opening Latin word of the prayer, "Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariae" ("The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary").

Borrowed from Italian Angelo. Doublet of Angel.

Borrowed from Basque Anda.

Named after the first asteroid of this type discovered, 1221 Amor, itself named for the Roman god of love.

From Old English eom, part of the highly irregular verb "to be," inherited from a very old Indo-European root.

From Arabic Ali, meaning "high" or "exalted".

Borrowed from Spanish Alda, a habitational surname from Basque. Also borrowed from Odia ଆଲଡା (ālaḍā).

From Old Breton Alan, an early saints' name of disputed Celtic origin; unrelated to the historical "Alan" tribe name, which comes from an Iranian root.

From Arabic ʕadan, likely tracing back through Akkadian and Sumerian words for open, fertile plain — the same root behind the biblical "Eden."

Ultimately from Proto-Germanic *aþalaz ("noble").

A short form of Germanic names beginning with adal ("noble"); the programming language is named for Ada Lovelace.

From Greek akropolis, joining akros ("highest") and polis ("city") — literally "the highest part of the city."

From Arabic أَبُو (ʔabū).

From Latin ab origine, "from the beginning/origin."

A shortened, informal form of Abigail.

Shortened form of Abigail.

From French parade ("display, military review"), from parer ("to prepare, adorn") — a doublet of "pare."

From Latin salutare, "to wish well" or "to greet," from salus, "health, safety" — the same root as "salutation" and the toast "salud."

From Middle English *felonious (implied in feloniously; compare felonous); equivalent to felony + -ous.

From Middle English stinky, stynky, equivalent to stink + -y. Compare Dutch stinkig (“stinky, foul, rotten”), Low German stinkig (“stinking, stinky”), German stinkig (“stinky”), Hunsrik stinkich. Compare also Saterland Frisian stjunkerch (“stinky”), West Frisian stjonkerich (“stinky”).

From inexorable + -ly.

From Jamaican Creole rege, meaning "rags" or "a quarrel"; the musical sense was popularized by the 1968 Maytals song "Do the Reggay."

From French détergent, from Latin dētergēns, "wiping off" — from dē- ("off") + tergēre ("to wipe").