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 Old English snægl, from a Proto-Germanic root related to "sneak" and "creep."

Borrowed from Late Latin phrasis ("diction"), from Greek phrasis ("manner of expression"), from phrazo, "to tell or express."

From Spanish canario, referring to the Canary Islands, which the Romans in turn named after their dogs (Latin canis).

From Old English hnecca ("neck, nape"), from a Proto-Germanic root also seen in Dutch nek and German Nacken.

From Old English cnēow, an ancient Germanic word related to Latin genū and Greek gónu — both also meaning "knee."

From Old English fot, from a very old Indo-European root for "foot" shared across most European languages.

From Old Norse leggr, "leg, bone, tube" — the word came into English with Viking settlers and gradually replaced the native Old English term.

From Old English elboga, a combination of words meaning "ell" (a unit of length, roughly forearm-sized) and "bow" (a bend).

From Old English tunge, from a Proto-Germanic root related to Latin lingua — a doublet of "language" and "lingua."

From Old English mūþ, from an ancient Germanic root also connected to Latin words for "chin" and "to chew."

From Old English nosu, going back to a very old Indo-European root for "nose" or "nostril" shared with Latin nāsus and German Nase.

From Middle English eren, from Old English erian, from Proto-West Germanic *arjan, from Proto-Germanic *arjaną, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂erh₃- (“to plough”).

From Old English hær, an ancient Germanic word going back to a root meaning "to scrape or comb," found with close cousins in Dutch (haar) and German (Haar).

From Old English toth, from a Proto-Germanic root, ultimately from a Proto-Indo-European word for "tooth" — a doublet of "dent" and "dens," and related to "tusk."

From the old phrase "hand in cap," a forfeit game where players held stake money in a cap — later borrowed for sports where competitors are given adjusted odds.

From Old French greffe ("stylus"), from Latin graphium, from Ancient Greek grapheion — the shoot was named for its resemblance to a pointed pen.

From Latin talentum, originally a unit of weight and money in ancient Greece; the modern sense of "natural ability" grew out of the biblical Parable of the Talents, where the word meant a sum of money entrusted to servants.

From Canada + the adjective-forming suffix -ian.

From Taiwan plus the suffix -ese.

From Old Norse þeim, borrowed into Middle English to replace the native Old English object form.

From Old English him, from Proto-Germanic *himmai.

Borrowed into Middle English from Old Norse their, the plural of a demonstrative meaning "those"; it replaced native forms that had become confused with "he".

Traces back through Middle English "sche/scho" to an Old English root, likely "hēo," with a sound shift that eventually produced the modern "she" — the exact path is debated among linguists.

From Old English hē, going back through Germanic to a Proto-Indo-European demonstrative meaning "this one."