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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A learned borrowing from Latin Moscovia, derived from Russian Москва́ (Moskvá).

From archaic Italian montambanco (“quack who mounts a bench to hawk his wares”), contracted from monta-in-banco (“mount on bench”).

From mong (“person with Down syndrome”) + -tard, or possibly a combination of mong + retard.

Variant of McBain.

From Latin monas (“unit”) (from Ancient Greek μονάς (monás), from μόνος (mónos), from Proto-Indo-European *men-). By surface analysis, mono- + -ad.

From Middle English nekkyrchefe, neckercheve, equivalent to neck + kerchief.

From myo- + -logy.

From mop + -sy. From mopsy, from mop. Compare moppet.

Variant of McRae.

Borrowed from Anglo-Norman neif m, niefe f (“native, serf”), from Latin nātīvus m, nātīva f (“native”). Doublet of naïf and native.

Perhaps of Scandinavian origin: compare dialectal Norwegian neip (“forked pole”).

From Middle French naturalisation.

From Middle English mulier(e), moillere, muliery (“adj.: legitimate, both in wedlock; noun: wedlock”), from Anglo-Norman muil(l)eré, moil(l)eré (“legitimate; of legitimate birth”) or Old French moil(l)eré, ultimately from Latin mulier (“woman”).

From millenarian + -ism. Compare millenarism, millennianism, millennialism.

Borrowed from Italian Napoli, from Latin Neāpolis, from Ancient Greek Νεᾱ́πολῐς (Neā́polĭs), from νέᾱ (néā, “new”) + πόλῐς (pólĭs, “city”). Doublet of Nabeul, Nablus, Naples, Neapoli, and Neapolis.

From Latin mēlīnus.

From metal + works.

Variant of McAllister.

From Middle English moneyeles, equivalent to money + -less.

From New Latin neuralgia, from Ancient Greek νεῦρον (neûron, “nerve”) + ἄλγος (álgos, “pain”). By surface analysis, neur- + -algia.

Learned borrowing from Medieval Latin missīvus, from mittō (“to send”).

From Latin morum (“mulberry”) + -ula.

From mono- (“one”) + -graph (“write”).

Variant of McNair.