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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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Formed by shortening banana, in the fruit sense; the "grandmother" sense is a separate, older baby-talk word found across many languages.

The given name is of uncertain origin, possibly linked to Daniel; the Buddhist/Hindu sense comes directly from Sanskrit dana, meaning "gift" or "giving."

Traced to 17th-century French dialect words meaning "to smoke" or "to reek," ultimately from Latin fumigare ("to fumigate") — the same root as "fumigate."

A learned borrowing from Ancient Greek κῦδος (kûdos), meaning "glory" or "renown."

From Old French renoun, related to re- + "noun" (in the older sense of "name" or "reputation").

From Old French reputer, from Latin reputo, "to think over, reckon," from re- ("again") plus puto ("to think").

Formed from the verb "staple" plus the agent suffix "-er," describing the tool that does the stapling.

Borrowed directly from Latin gloria, meaning "glory" — the same root as the English word "glory."

From Old French glorïos, from Latin gloriosus, from gloria ("glory").

From Old English "Normann," ultimately built from the Germanic words for "north" and "man" — describing the Scandinavian settlers who gave Normandy its name.

From Middle English falshede, formed from false plus the suffix -hood.

From Latin iustitia, "righteousness, fairness," from iustus, "just."

From Late Latin immediatus, meaning "without anything in between," from in- plus mediatus, from medius ("middle").

From Latin omittere, "to let go," formed from ob- and mittere ("to send").

From Latin omissio, from omittere, "to let go" or "leave out."

From Middle English fruytles, built from fruit plus -less, "without."

From French colique, ultimately from Greek kolikos, "suffering in the colon".

Coined from Latin fructus, "fruit," plus the chemical suffix -ose used for sugars (as in sucrose, glucose).

Borrowed via French from Ancient Greek gleukos, meaning "sweet wine" or "must" — reflecting its sweet taste.

From "Guy Fawkes," the man behind the 1605 Gunpowder Plot in England; effigies of him burned on bonfires eventually gave the word its casual sense of "man" or "fellow."

From Middle French modelle, from Old Italian modello, ultimately from Latin modulus, a diminutive of modus ("measure") — the same root as "mode" and "module."

Borrowed from Dharug "dingu", meaning a tame or domesticated dingo.

From Latin statua, related to statuere, "to set up or erect."

A learned borrowing from Greek pulon, meaning "gateway."