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.

Browse etymology by letter

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Recently added

From un- + intelligible.

From Old French persone, "parson, person," from Latin persona — a doublet of "person."

From in- ("not") + coherent, ultimately from Latin cohaerere, "to stick together."

A casual clipping of "session."

An informal clipping of "vegetable" or "vegetarian" with the diminutive -ie ending.

From Middle English noke, of uncertain origin, possibly linked to an Old English word for "hook" or "bend."

Borrowed from French cuisine ("cooking, kitchen"), from Late Latin cocina, from earlier coquina, meaning "kitchen."

From Middle English hennes forth, combining hence ("from here") with forth ("forward") — literally "forward from here".

From cling + the adjective-forming suffix -y.

From "sheep" plus "dog."

From Old French revengier/revenchier, ultimately from Latin vindicare — the same root that gives "vengeance" and "avenge".

Formed from "alleged" plus the adverb-forming suffix "-ly."

From Latin limbus ("border, edge"), via the phrase in limbo. The dance sense is unrelated in origin, from Trinidad and Tobago.

From stick plus the agent suffix -er — literally, "something that sticks."

From Middle English "burre," possibly related to an Old English word for "bristle."

Recorded from 1412 as Middle English resolucioun, from Latin resolutio, "a loosening", from resolvere — related to "resolve".

From Old French desirable, built from "desire" plus the suffix -able ("capable of being").

A learned borrowing from Latin dēgenerātus, from dē- ("down from") + genus ("kind, birth") — literally "having fallen from one's kind."

From Old French destachier — from the same root as "attach", by adding the negating prefix "de-".

From Latin detegere, "to uncover" — from de- ("off") and tegere ("to cover").

From Latin contemptus ("contempt") plus the adjective-forming suffix -ous.

notwithstanding

From Middle English notwithstandinge, a fusion of not + withstanding, literally "not standing against it."

A reshaping of the older word natheless, influenced by none, ultimately from Old English meaning "not the less."

A fusion of the Middle English phrase "al be it (that)," literally "although it be that."