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 orca, meaning both "cask" and "a kind of whale" — the exact link between those two senses is unclear.

From Middle English schore, likely from Old English roots meaning a rugged, rocky place — related to the verb "shear" (to cut).

From Old French lai ("song, poem"), ultimately from a Germanic word meaning "play" or "melody" — related to "lake" in its old sense of "to play".

From Middle English wiker, related to a Scandinavian word for willow.

From earlier "sprent" ("to leap, dart"), from Old Norse, ultimately from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning to twitch or jump.

Likely from a Scandinavian root related to "to push" or "to shove," as seen in Swedish skuff ("a push").

Borrowed from Swedish moped, a blend of motor and pedal (or Swedish "pedaler").

Borrowed into English from Dutch or Low German "kink," originally describing a twist in a rope, likely related to an older Germanic word for a sharp turn or bend.

Likely from Irish smidiríní, "small fragments," though the exact path into English is uncertain.

From Irish leipreachán, traced back through Old Irish luchorpán, possibly built from words meaning "small" and "body."

From Spanish quinua, borrowed from the Andean Quechua language.

Borrowed from Spanish puma, from Quechua puma.

From Spanish inca, from Quechua inka, meaning "emperor" or "ruler."

Borrowed from Spanish charqui, from Quechua charki.

Borrowed from Spanish gaucho; its deeper origin is uncertain.

From Spanish condor, from Quechua kuntur.

From Portuguese garoupa, the name for this fish.

An Indian English word borrowed from Portuguese varanda ("balcony, balustrade"); its deeper origins are debated.

Origin uncertain, probably North Germanic; compare Norwegian rigge (\"to rig, equip\").

Norwegian · 1600

Dates from around the 17th century, likely related to Scandinavian words for "push" or "rub," such as Norwegian nugge.

From Middle English laweful — "law" plus the suffix "-ful."

Borrowed from Hindi thag, "swindler" or "cheat," originally referring to a network of gangs in India who robbed and murdered travelers. The English sense broadened to "violent criminal" by the mid-1800s.

From Hindi and Urdu shal, from Persian shal — the garment reached English via trade with South Asia.

From mug ("to rob") plus the agent suffix -er.