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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 blabber ("to reveal a secret carelessly") plus mouth.

Inherited from Middle English blaberen, an old word for babbling or stammering speech.

From Middle English blabben, "to talk foolishly", likely related to a word for idle chatter.

A shortened form of "opossum," dropping the initial vowel sound.

A variant of "jemmy," a British word for a small crowbar.

Imitative in origin, echoing the sound of a bell — the smoking-device sense comes separately from a Southeast Asian word for a bamboo tube.

From Old French retourner, "to turn back," from re- + tornare ("to turn").

From in- plus auspicious.

From "goof" plus the adjective suffix "-y."

From Old English wyscan, going back to a Proto-Germanic root meaning "to wish" that also produced the German wünschen and Dutch wensen.

From Latin subsidiarius, "belonging to a reserve," related to subsidy.

From Latin cōnflīctus, "a striking together" — from conflīgō ("to strike together").

From Old French seur, from Latin securus ("secure, carefree"), from se- ("apart") + cura ("care"). A doublet of secure.

Borrowed from French clientèle, ultimately from Latin cliens, "client."

From Latin solūtiō, "a loosening or dissolving", from the verb solvō, "to loosen, solve".

From Latin exportare, "to carry out or away" — from ex- ("out") plus portare ("to carry").

From Medieval Latin cultivare ("to till"), from Latin cultus, from colere ("to till, tend, cultivate").

From hard + working.

From Old French contract, from Latin contractus, the noun from contrahere ("to draw together, to conclude a bargain") — from con- ("together") plus trahere ("to draw, pull").

From Old French prime, from Latin prīmus ("first"), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots meaning "before" or "in front."

From Old French oignement, "an anointing", from a Latin verb meaning "to smear or anoint" — the same root as the word "anoint".

From Old French guarantie, related to a Germanic root meaning "warrant" — a close cousin of "warranty."

From Old French demander, from Latin demandare ("to entrust, hand over"), from de- plus mandare ("to order, commission").

From Middle English deliveri, via Anglo-Norman, from Old French delivrer.