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.

Browse etymology by letter

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Recently added

From Old English cietel, related to Old Norse ketill, both ultimately from a Germanic word for a vessel or cauldron; the policing sense is a modern figurative extension, comparing a contained crowd to water trapped in a kettle.

The physics sense was coined in 1963 by physicist Murray Gell-Mann, who later linked the spelling to a nonsense line in James Joyce's novel Finnegans Wake. The cheese sense comes separately from German Quark.

From Latin inventiō, from inveniō, "to discover, find, invent."

From Latin Alpes, via Old French and Old English forms.

From Ottoman Turkish hacı, from Persian hājī, ultimately from Arabic hājj, "one who has made the pilgrimage."

Named after the Canadian region of Labrador, itself named for the Portuguese explorer João Fernandes Lavrador.

From Middle English sodenly, built from sudden plus the adverb-forming suffix -ly.

From Old English ġēa, an ancient Germanic word for "yes."

From Latin concīsus, "cut short," from concīdere, "to cut to pieces."

From Latin maritimus, from mare ("sea"), by way of Middle French maritime.

From Middle French corrélation, built from "correlate" plus the suffix "-ion".

From Old English trēg, "wooden board" — related to "tree" and "trough."

From Old French sodain, from Vulgar Latin subitanus, from Latin subitus, "that which has come stealthily" — the past participle of subire, "to steal up on," from sub- ("under") plus ire ("to go").

From Medieval Latin repraesentativus, built on the same root as "represent."

From Old French prose, from Latin prosa, short for prosa oratio ("straightforward speech"), meaning language without the patterns and ornament of verse.

Borrowed from Middle French organisation, from Medieval Latin organizātiō.

From Old English nēod and nīed, two related words meaning "desire/longing" and "necessity/compulsion," which merged into modern English "need."

From Old French tronchon, "a thick stick," ultimately from Latin truncus, meaning a tree trunk or something cut short.

From Spanish espada, "sword," referring to the matador's role in delivering the final blow.

From Old French maillet, a diminutive of mail ("hammer"), from Latin malleus.

The service was originally reached in major cities by dialling the letters TIM (846) on a dial telephone.

Ultimately from "Moorish," as the dance was historically associated with exotic or foreign costume and disguise.

From Old French assentir, from Latin assentiri, from ad- ("to") plus sentire ("to feel, think").

The feminine form of Alexander, from Greek meaning "defender of men."