Etymology — The origins of English words

dweeb

Origin · 1960

US college slang from the late 1960s, likely related to "feeb" (a shortening of "feeble-minded").

simpleton

Origin

From simple plus the ending -ton, on the pattern of a surname — the same joking formation seen in words like "singleton."

cred

Origin · 1900

An informal shortening of "credibility" or "credentials", popularised in youth and street slang from the late 20th century.

cutting

Origin

Formed from cut plus the suffix -ing.

establishment

Old French

From Old French establissement, built on establir — see "establish."

production

Latin

From Old French production, from Latin prōductiō, "a lengthening, an extending," from prōdūcō — the same root as produce.

wagon

Dutch

From Middle Dutch "wagen", tracing back to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to carry" or "to transport" — the same root behind "way" and "weigh".

sometimes

Origin

From sometime + the adverbial suffix -s.

prospective

Late Latin

From Late Latin prospectivus, related to prospect, meaning "looking forward."

Gordon

Latin

The main etymology, associated with Celtic names, is from the Scots surname Gordon, from a place name, but the origin is debated: * If the English or Scots name is from a Brythonic language (such as Old Welsh or Old Breton), then possibly from a Proto-Brythonic compound such as *gor (“spacious”) + *din (“fort”); * If the Scots name is itself from English, then possibly from French Gourdon, derived from Gallo-Roman Latin Gordus, from Gaulish *Gordos; * Otherwise, possibly ultimately from Old English *gor-dūn (“mud hill”) whence a habitational name.

outline

Origin

A straightforward compound of out + line.

sensible

Latin

From Latin sensibilis, "perceptible, having feeling," from sentiō, "to feel."

illogical

Origin

From il- ("not") + logical.

heartthrob

Origin

From "heart" + "throb" (a pounding or racing beat) — the idea that just seeing this person makes your heart race.

throb

Middle English

From Middle English throbben, likely imitative of the sound or feel of a pulse.

heartbeat

Origin

A straightforward compound of "heart" and "beat" — used literally for centuries before being borrowed by computing for its "signal of life" idea.

codeine

Ancient Greek

From French codéine, built from Ancient Greek kōdeia, "poppy head" — the plant part codeine is extracted from.

morphine

Origin

Named after Morpheus, the Roman god of dreams, because of the drug's powerful sedative and dream-inducing effects.

opiate

Medieval Latin

From Medieval Latin opiatus, ultimately from opium.

hurley

Origin

From the verb "hurl" — the stick is named after the action of hurling the ball.

hooray

Germanic · 1600

Origin unclear, first recorded in the late 1600s; possibly related to "hurrah" or similar exclamations across Germanic languages.

orgy

Latin

From French orgies, from Latin orgia, from Greek órgia, "secret rites" — originally referring to ritual pagan ceremonies before it took on its modern, racier sense.

outbreak

Old English

From Old English ūtābrecan, "to break out," built from "out-" and "break."

restriction

Latin

From Latin restrictio, built the same way as restrict, with the noun-forming suffix -ion.