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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misproportioned

From mis- + proportioned.

From moonlight + -er.

From Latin Mencius, from Mandarin Chinese 孟子 (Mèngzǐ).

From Middle English maunde, maundie, borrowed from Old French mande, borrowed from Middle Dutch mande, from Old Dutch *manda, from Proto-West Germanic *mandu.

misappropriator

From misappropriate + -or.

From middle + town.

From needle + fish.

From mid- + gate. From being a door in the middle of a truck, separating the front half from the rear half.

From mis- + truth. Cognate with Middle High German missetriuwede.

Variant of McAllister.

From Latin mēcōnium (“opium; excrement of a newborn child”), from Ancient Greek μηκώνιον (mēkṓnion, “poppy-juice, opium”), from μήκων (mḗkōn, “poppy”).

From mile + post.

From monarch + -ical, perhaps after Middle French monarchique.

Ultimately from Dutch mallemok (from malle (“foolish”)), probably influenced by German Mallemucke. Compare Japanese 信天翁(あほうどり) (ahōdori, “albatross, foolish bird”).

Borrowed from Ancient Greek Μνημοσύνη (Mnēmosúnē).

Clipped compound.

From moon + sick.

From Middle English newnesse, from Old English nīewnes (“newness, novelty”), equivalent to new + -ness.

The noun is a variant of Milaner (“(obsolete) inhabitant or native of Milan”) (referring to the importation and sale of women’s apparel, etc., made in Milan: see noun sense 1), from Late Middle English Milener, Miloner (“native of Milan”), from Milan + -er(e) (suffix denoting an inhabitant or resident). The verb is derived from the noun.

From Medieval Latin minorissa, from Latin minor (“little, lesser”) + -issa (“-ess”), under influence from Norman frere-menouresse and Middle French sereur meneuresse (“lesser sister”), from menour (“minor”) + -esse (“-ess”), after the model of Medieval Latin Fratres Minores (“Lesser Brothers”), chosen by St. Francis to inculcate humility in the order's members. Equivalent to minor + -ess. Doublet of minoress and Sister Minor.

From Middle English mekely, mekeliche, equivalent to meek + -ly. Compare Old Norse mjúkliga.

From Latin mīllipeda (“wood louse”), from mīlle (“thousand”) + pēs, pedis (“foot”), equivalent to milli- + -pede.

Variant of McPhee.

Variant of McMillan.