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.

Browse etymology by letter

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Recently added

From Spanish Sevilla (possibly through a Middle French form), from Arabic إِشْبِيلِيَة (ʔišbīliya), from Latin Hispalis, ultimately from Phoenician 𐤔𐤐𐤋𐤄 (šplh /⁠sefela⁠/, “plain, valley”). Compare Hebrew שפלה (shfela, “lowland”), Arabic سافل (safil, “lowly”). Doublet of Sevilla.

Borrowed from Korean 서울 (Seoul), literally "capital city."

From the historical region of Savoy in the Alps, via French Savoie, from Late Latin Sapaudia.

From Latin "Sardinia," possibly linked to the Sherden, an ancient people among the so-called Sea Peoples.

From Old English Rōm, ultimately from Latin Rōma; in Roman mythology, said to derive from Romulus, one of the city's legendary founders.

From Arabic الرِّيَاض (ar-riyāḍ), literally "the meadows".

From Ancient Greek Ῥόδος (Rhódos), of uncertain origin, possibly related to "rose" or "pomegranate."

Borrowed from Spanish Quito, named after the Quitu tribe.

Deverbal from crack down.

From Latin importo ("bring in from abroad"), from in- ("into") + porto ("to carry").

From Old English flōd, from a Germanic root meaning "to flow" — related to flow, fleet, and flow itself.

From Anglo-Norman floteson, ultimately related to float, with a Latin-derived ending.

Origin uncertain — possibly an alteration of "newie" with an inserted b (as in "freebie"), a blend of "newborn" and "baby," or a shortening of "new boy."

A World War II military acronym for "situation normal, all fouled up" (in its original, cruder form), used by soldiers to describe the everyday chaos of army life.

Coined in French in 1756 from Greek roots meaning "many" and "island," originally to describe the Pacific islands broadly before its meaning narrowed.

From Italian Piemonte, literally "foot of the mountain", also the name of a region in northern Italy.

From Greek philadelphia, "brotherly love," combining philos ("loving") and adelphos ("brother"). The city was named by its Quaker founder William Penn to reflect his hopes for religious tolerance.

From Italian Palermo, from Sicilian Palermu, from Arabic بَلَرْم (Balarm), from Latin Panormus, from Ancient Greek Πάνορμος (Pánormos), from πᾰν- (păn-, “all”) + ὅρμος (hórmos, “port”) for its natural harbor.

From Medieval Latin Padua, from Venetan Padoa, from Latin Patavium.

From Old Norse Ósló, possibly from áss ("god") + ló ("meadow").

From French Orléans, tracing back to Latin Aurelianum, named for the Roman emperor Aurelian who had the city rebuilt.

From Old French nice ("foolish, simple"), from Latin nescius ("ignorant"). The word originally meant "foolish" in English and has drifted through senses like "fussy" and "precise" to today's meaning of "pleasant" — one of the biggest meaning-flips in the English language.

From Middle English "kynnesman," built from kin plus man.

Likely derived from an older word meaning "to pound" or "beat," from the idea of hammering words together.