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 Middle English overmacchen, equivalent to over- + match.

Borrowed from Latin nocēbō (“I will harm”), the first-person singular future active indicative form of noceō (“to harm”), by analogy with placebo. The word was coined by Walter P. Kennedy in an article entitled “The Nocebo Reaction” (1961). (see quotation).

From Middle English *overdere (suggested by Middle English overdere (“too expensively, at too great a cost”, adverb)), equivalent to over- + dear.

From the Old Norse personal name Ásmundr + Old English hlaw (“hill”).

From non- + inferiority.

Transliteration of Russian Москва́ (Moskvá). Doublet of Moscow.

From mum + -sy. Attested from 1876.

From Urdu نَمازی (namāzī), from Urdu نَماز (namāz) and their source, Persian نَمَاز.

From Moray + -shire.

From Muslim + -ist.

From Middle English morelond, equivalent to moor + land. Compare Old Norse mýrlendi (“moorland”).

From Neanderthal + -ian.

Variant of McLaren.

From Moldavia + -an.

Borrowed from German Mneme which was coined by German evolutionary biologist Richard Semon in 1904 from Ancient Greek μνήμη (mnḗmē). First attested in English in 1921 where it was capitalized Mneme.

From mis- + persuade.

From Latin Medus, from Ancient Greek Μῆδος (Mêdos).

From Latin muliebris (“womanly”) + -al.

Borrowed from Latin multiplicātus, perfect passive participle of multiplicō, see -ate (etymology 1, 2 and 3).

From Middle English mightli, myȝtly, from Old English mihtelīċ (“possible, able, capable”), from Proto-West Germanic *mahtilīk, from Proto-Germanic *mahtilīkaz, *mahtulīkaz, equivalent to might + -ly. Cognate with Swedish maktlig (“powerful”).

From their self-designation in Mahican [Term?] (literally “people of the estuary”), though the precise meaning and etymology have been debated. Doublet of Mahican and Mohegan; compare also Mohawk.

From mono- + -phonic. Compare Ancient Greek μονόφωνος (monóphōnos, “with only one voice or tone”)

Borrowed from French moue, from Old French moe (“grimace”), from Frankish *mauwa (“pout, protruding lip”). Doublet of mow ("grimace").

From new + friend, as a euphemism for newfag.