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 in- plus adequate.

From French improvisation, from improvise + -ation.

From Middle French impropre, from Latin improprius, from in- + proprius ("proper, one's own").

From impress + the adjective-forming suffix -ive.

From im- + pound (an enclosure for stray animals) — literally "to shut up in a pound."

From Latin implicatio, from implicate + -ion.

From impersonate + -ion.

From Middle French impartir, from Late Latin impartire (im- + partire, "to divide, share").

From Middle French immun, from Latin immunis, "exempt from public service" (in- + munus, "service, duty").

From im- ("not") plus moral, ultimately from Latin mos, "custom" or "manner".

From immigrate plus the noun-forming suffix -ion.

From Latin immersus, past participle of immergere, from in- ("into") plus mergere ("to dip or plunge").

From Old French imaginacion, from Latin imaginatio, built on the verb imaginari ("to picture to oneself").

From Middle French imagerie, built from "image" plus the suffix "-ry," originally referring to the craft of making pictures or statues.

From Latin illustratio, from illustrare, "to make clear, light up."

From Latin illuminatio, from illuminare, "to light up."

Formed from hydrate plus the noun-forming suffix "-ion."

Originally a shortened, casual form of "housewife" — it drifted over centuries from meaning an ordinary woman of the house to carrying a negative, judgmental sense.

From Middle French humiliation, tracing back to Latin humiliare, "to humiliate" — ultimately from humilis, "low" (the same root as humble).

From Old English roots meaning "to howl," almost certainly an imitation of the sound itself — much like similar words in German (heulen) and Dutch (huilen).

From Middle English houswyf, house + wife. It is a doublet of "hussy" — the two words split apart over time as "hussy" took on a negative meaning.

From Latin hostilis, "of an enemy," from hostis, "enemy" or "stranger."

From Old French hostage, likely tracing back either to hoste ("host," via the idea of someone taken into "lodging" turning into captivity) or to a Latin word for "captive."

A straightforward compound of horse and back, first recorded in Middle English.