Etymology — The origins of English words

Learned borrowing from New Latin ontologia (1606, Ogdoas Scholastica, by Jacob Lorhard (Lorhardus)), from Ancient Greek ὤν, ὄντος (ṓn, óntos, “being”), present participle of εἰμί (eimí, “being, existing, essence”) + λόγος (lógos, “account”). By surface analysis, onto- + -logy. First known English use 1663: Archelogia philosophica nova; or, New principles of Philosophy. Containing Philosophy in general, Metaphysicks or Ontology, Dynamilogy or a Discourse of Power, Religio Philosophi or Natural Theology, Physicks or Natural philosophy, by Gideon Harvey (1636–1702), London, Thomson, 1663. Popularized as a philosophical term by German philosopher Christian Wolff (1679–1754).

From note + -less.

From over- + exert.

From Middle English oker, okur, okir, okyr, ocker, from Old Norse ókr (“usury”), from Proto-Germanic *wōkraz (“progeny, earnings, profit”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ewg- (“to add, increase”). Cognate with Scots ocker (“usury”), Icelandic ókur (“usury”), Swedish ocker (“usury”), German Wucher (“usury”), Dutch woeker (“usury”), Old English wōcor (“increase, growth, fruit, usury”), Gothic 𐍅𐍉𐌺𐍂𐍃 (wōkrs, “interest, usury, tax”), Latin augere (“to increase”). More at eke, wax.

Inherited from Middle English outlawerie, from outlawe + -erie after Anglo-Norman utlagarie, utlarie, and Late Latin utlagaria; by surface analysis, outlaw + -ry.

From non- + uniform + -ed.

From scientific Latin Oviraptor (genus name), from Latin ōvi- (“ovi-”) + raptor (because it is believed to have fed on the eggs of other dinosaurs).

From out- + shadow.

From non- + rehearsal.

Apparently from Middle English *oxtere, *oxte, from Old English ōxta, ōhsta, related to Old English ōxn (“armpit”), Old English eax (“axis, axle”), and eaxl (“shoulder”), from Proto-West Germanic *ahslu (“shoulder”), from Proto-Germanic *ahslō (“joint of the shoulder”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱs- (“axis, axle”). See also axis and axon.

From non- + carbonated.

From Latin Nisibis, from Ancient Greek Νίσιβις (Nísibis), from Aramaic ܢܨܝܼܒܝܼܢ (Nəṣīḇīn).

From nit + picking.

From Middle English overþwartnes, overthwartnes; equivalent to overthwart + -ness.

From non- + performance.

From oof + -y. Oof is a clipping of ooftish, from Yiddish אויפֿן טיש (oyfn tish, “on the table”) in the phrase געלט אויפֿן טיש (gelt oyfn tish, “money on the table”).

From non- + sensitive.

From non- + wavering.

From non- + national.

From non- + universal.

From non- + magnetic.

From non- + exciting.

From non- + intellectual.

From Middle English numeracioun, from Latin numerātiō. By surface analysis, numerate + -ion.