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 affectionate plus the adverb ending -ly.

A learned borrowing from Latin affectionatus — built on affection plus the adjective ending -ate. It shares its root with "aficionado."

Formed from "Buddha" plus the suffix "-ism," used to name a system of belief or practice.

From Old French affection, from Latin affectio, related to the verb affect — originally meaning any state or change brought on by an emotion.

From Pali/Sanskrit "buddha," meaning "awakened" or "enlightened," the past participle of a verb meaning "to wake up."

From Old French a faire, "to do" — literally "(something) to be done" — going back to Latin ad + facere ("to do").

From French affable, from Latin affabilis, built on the verb for "to speak to" — the same root family as "fable."

Borrowed from Afar qafár.

From "admit" plus the suffix "-ance."

From Old French aviser, ultimately linked to Latin vīsus, "sight" — the same root behind advice.

From advertise plus the ending -ing.

From Middle English advertisen, from Old French avertir, "to warn" or "give notice," later reshaped to match advertisement.

From Old French aventuros, built on adventure plus -ous.

From adventure plus the agent ending -er.

From Old French aventure, ultimately from Latin adventurus, "about to arrive" — in the Romance languages it came to mean "to happen" or "to befall."

From Old French avantage, from avant meaning "before" — the same root that gives us "advance."

From Latin adventus, meaning "arrival" or "approach."

From Old French avancement, built on advance plus the noun-forming ending -ment.

From advance plus the ending -ed, tracing back through Old French avancier to Latin roots meaning "before" or "in front."

From Anglo-Norman avauncier, ultimately from Late Latin ab ante ("from before"); a "d" was later added to match Latin ad-.

From a- ("in a state of") + drift.

From Latin adornare, from ad- + ornare ("to furnish, decorate") — the same root as "ornament."

From Latin adoptare, from ad- ("toward") + optare ("to choose") — the same root as "option."

Borrowed directly from Italian nonna, "grandmother."