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 targe, meaning a small shield, going back to a Frankish word for the same; the shooting sense grew out of that older "shield" meaning.

From Old English scield ("shield"), tracing back to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to cut" or "split" — the original shields were likely cut from wood or hide.

Borrowed directly from Spanish rumba.

From Old English *þīht, related to a Proto-Germanic word meaning "dense" or "thick." The modern spelling with "t-" was later influenced by the unrelated verb "tighten."

From Old English swelc, from Proto-Germanic swalikaz, literally "so-like" — related to so and like.

From Old French relacion, from Latin relatio, "a carrying back," from referre, "to relate" — built from re- ("back") plus ferre ("to carry").

From Middle English propertee, from Anglo-Norman propreté, ultimately from Latin proprietas ("ownership, a particular quality"), from proprius ("one's own"). A doublet of propriety — the two words split apart in meaning over time.

Derived from regolith.

From Latin praecipitare, \"to throw headlong,\" from praeceps, \"headfirst\" — the same root as precipice.

From Latin nātiō, "birth, race, people," ultimately from nāscor, "to be born" — the same root behind "native" and "natal."

From Latin mīlitāris, "of a soldier," from mīles, "soldier."

From Old English leornung, from the same root as learn.

From Middle French industrieux, from Late Latin industriosus ("diligent"), related to industria ("diligence").

From Old French industrie, from Latin industria ("diligence, activity"), from industrius ("diligent, active").

From Japanese 島田 (Shimada).

Borrowed from Hindustani, ultimately from Persian and Arabic words meaning "ingredients" or "affairs."

A late-19th-century northern English dialect softening of "hell," used to swear without actually swearing.

From Old English latost, the superlative of "late". A doublet of "last".

An imitative word that copies the sound itself.

An imitative (onomatopoeic) word that mimics the actual sound frogs make.

From Middle English ballednesse, from bald plus the suffix -ness.

Shortened from "periwig," itself adapted from the French perruque. The "to scold" sense may come from old expressions like "flip one's wig."

From Old French tete, ultimately from a very old Germanic root of imitative origin also behind the (now more vulgar) word "tit."

Borrowed via Middle French from Old French "loial," ultimately from Latin "legalis" — the same root that gives us "legal." "Loyal" and "legal" are historical twins.