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 Old French circulier, from Late Latin circularis, from Latin circulus ("small circle").

A back-formation from difficulty, ultimately from Latin difficilis, "hard to do" — from dis- plus facilis, "easy."

From Old French helmet, a diminutive of helme ("helm"), itself borrowed from a Germanic word.

From Italian firma ("signature"), from Latin firmus ("stable, strong"); the business sense developed in the 1700s from the idea of a name a company trades and signs under.

From "help" plus the agent suffix "-er."

From Old French arangier ("to put in a row"), from reng ("row, rank"), ultimately from a Germanic word for "ring".

From Old French comander, from Late Latin commandare, ultimately from Latin com- + mandare ("to entrust, order") — a relative of "commend," "mandate," and "recommend."

From Old English sihþ, related to see — literally "the act or power of seeing".

From Latin inhabitans, present participle of inhabitare, "to inhabit."

From Latin possessio, related to possidere ("to possess").

From Old French superiour, from Latin superior, "higher, upper" — the comparative form of super, "above".

From Latin inferior, "lower," the comparative form of inferus, "below."

From Old English mæster, borrowed from Latin magister ("chief, teacher"), ultimately from an Indo-European root shared with "much" and "magnus" (great).

From Old English heall, an ancient word for a large room or dwelling, related to German Halle and Dutch hal.

From Old English wilde, an ancient Germanic word ultimately linked to words for "hair" and "wool," describing untamed, shaggy nature.

A learned borrowing from Latin prior, meaning "earlier" or "former" — related to before, fore, and former.

From Old French receivre and Latin recipere, from re- ("back") plus capio ("to take") — related to conceive, deceive, and perceive.

From Anglo-Norman dauncer, ultimately from an uncertain Vulgar Latin root; it replaced the earlier Old English word for dancing, sealtian.

Formed from "trade" plus the agent suffix -er, meaning "one who trades."

From French pathologie, from Greek pathos ("disease") plus -logia ("study of").

From Middle English enacten, from en- ("to cause to be") plus Old French acte ("act, deed"), ultimately from Latin agere ("to do, drive").

From Middle English fyry, from fyr ("fire") plus -y.

From the Old French battle cry "crier havok" — a signal for soldiers to seize plunder — ultimately from a word for a hook or pruning tool used for grabbing loot.

From Old Norse *wrek, related to Old English wrecan ("to drive"), the same root that gave us "wreak".