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 blend of "form(yl)" and "aldehyde," reflecting its chemical structure.

Borrowed from French cartouche, from Italian cartuccia, ultimately from Latin charta ("paper") — a doublet of "cartridge."

From Scots cosie, of uncertain origin, possibly related to Norwegian kose seg, "to have a cosy time."

From Old English seġne, tracing back through Latin sagena to Ancient Greek sagene, "dragnet."

Borrowed from German Welt in the sense of a bordering strip or edge.

First recorded in 16th-century Scots and northern English dialect meaning "earthenware pot," of uncertain origin, possibly linked to Scandinavian or Low German words for a drinking vessel.

Middle French · 1730

From Middle French magasin ("warehouse, store"), from Italian magazzino, ultimately from Arabic makhāzin, plural of makhzan ("storeroom"). The publication sense developed in the 1730s from the idea of a "storehouse" of information.

Borrowed from French souvenir, literally "memory" — related to the verb se souvenir, "to remember."

Traces back through French and Arabic to Late Latin praecoquum, "early-ripening (fruit)" — the same root as precocious.

A straightforward compound of sun + roof, describing a roof panel that lets sunlight in.

From the name of the Venetian Ghetto, the segregated Jewish quarter of Venice; the word's exact origin is disputed.

Borrowed from Russian tsar, which ultimately descends from the Latin name Caesar — the same root that gives German "Kaiser."

From Old French doble, ultimately from Latin duplus, "twofold."

From Old French exil, from Latin exsilium, "banishment," related to exsul, "a banished person."

From under- plus mine, originally meaning to dig a tunnel beneath a wall to bring it down.

From French identifier, built on Latin idem ("the same") and facere ("to make").

From Old English pāpa, from Vulgar Latin papa, ultimately from Greek pápas, "father."

From the name Rome.

From Old English hafoc, from a very old Germanic word possibly meaning "to seize" — hawks being named for how they catch their prey.

Origin uncertain — possibly from an Algonquian word for "counselor" or "elder," or from the Caucus Club of 1760s Boston.

Spanish · 1588

Recorded in English from 1588, borrowed via Spanish tabaco, itself likely from a Caribbean language word for a pipe or roll used for smoking.

Borrowed from Spanish maíz, from a Taíno word for the plant.

Borrowed from Portuguese inhame and Spanish ñame, likely from Wolof ñàmbi (“cassava”) or a related word. The term was spelled yam as early as 1657.

Originally meant "pine cone" in Middle English (pine + apple, "apple" once meaning any fruit); the name was transferred to the tropical fruit because of its resemblance to a large pine cone.