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 a- ("to") plus vail, from valoir, "to be worth," from Latin valere, "to be strong."

From Middle English awry — a- + wry.

Origin uncertain; likely from a nautical term related to Middle French auvans, "sloping roof".

From Middle English awke, "clumsy" + -ward.

From Old English āne hwīle, "(for) a while".

From awful + -ly.

From Middle English aweful, "awe-inspiring" (awe + -ful). The modern negative sense developed as a shift from "awe-inspiring" to simply "very bad".

From awesome + -ness.

From a- + wash.

From Old English ġewær, from Proto-Germanic *waraz, "aware, cautious" — related to Dutch gewaar and German gewahr.

From Anglo-Norman awarder, from Medieval Latin *exwardare — from Latin ex- + wardare, "to observe/guard"; related to "ward" and "guard".

From awaken + -ing.

From Old English eaxl, originally meaning "shoulder", related to Latin axis and German Achsel ("armpit") — the idea of a joint that things pivot on.

From Anglo-Norman litere ("bedding, bed of straw"), from Latin lectus ("bed") — the sense shifted from straw bedding, to the young born on that bedding, to loose scattered material and trash.

From Middle English ay, possibly from Old Norse ei ("ever"), though its exact link to the "yes" sense is debated by scholars.

From Middle English variants such as ei and ey, an old exclamation of pain or surprise, likely shaped by imitation of the natural sound people make when hurt.

From Greek azaleos ("dry"), because the plant was thought to favor dry soil.

From Old French part and Old English part, both ultimately from Latin pars, "piece, share, role."

From Persian, ultimately from Arabic ayatu llahi, meaning "sign of God".

Likely from Low German roots meaning "clumsy fellow" or "lump," originally describing a rustic or awkward peasant before narrowing to the comic performer we know today.

From Arabic rukhkh, borrowed via Persian and Spanish into English.

From on- + set, echoing the older Old English onsettan ("to press down upon, oppress").

From Middle English, literally "now" + "adays" (meaning "in these days").

Likely a variant of bulge, tied to the curved shape of a ship's lower hull.