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 French femelle, from Latin femella ("young woman"), a diminutive of femina ("woman"). Its modern spelling was reshaped in English under the influence of "male," even though the two words aren't actually related.

From Old French masle, from Latin masculus, a diminutive of mas, "male." Related to "masculine" and "macho."

From Old English menn, the plural of man, going back to a Proto-Germanic root shared with German Männer and Swedish män.

From Old English gōd, going back to a Proto-Germanic root related to the idea of fitting or suiting well — despite appearances, it is not related to the word "God."

From Anglo-Norman flur, from Latin florem, related to Proto-Indo-European roots meaning "to bloom." A doublet of "flour," since both trace back to the same idea of the "finest part" of something.

From Old English finger, related to German Finger and Dutch vinger, ultimately traced back to the Indo-European word for "five" — fingers being the five digits of the hand.

From Old English þæt, the neuter form of the demonstrative that also gave us "the." It has been part of English since its earliest recorded stages.

From Middle English not/nat, a shortened form of Old English nāwiht ("nothing"), literally "not anything."

From Old English ōþer ("other, second"), tracing back through Proto-Germanic to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning simply "other" — the same ancient root that gives German ander and Swedish annan.

Adapted from Dutch ijsberg, literally "ice mountain."

From Middle English pymple, possibly related to an Old English word for breaking out in spots, and to the Latin word for a pimple or pustule.

A genericized trademark from the Xerox Corporation, whose name comes from "xerography" (Greek xērós, "dry," + graphḗ, "writing") — a dry photocopying process.

From Old English reġnboga, literally "rain" plus "bow" (as in an arch) — a very old, straightforward compound shared across the Germanic languages.

From Old English cwacian, "to tremble, shake, chatter," of imitative origin describing a shaking motion.

From Old French cointe ("clever, elegant"), from Latin cognitus ("known"); the meaning shifted over centuries from "clever" to "curiously old-fashioned but charming."

Formed from "quag" (a bog or marsh) plus "mire" (wet, muddy ground), first recorded in the late 1500s; the figurative "difficult situation" meaning followed roughly two centuries later.

From Latin quadruplus, itself built from quadri- ("four") plus -plus ("fold"), the same pattern as "double" and "triple."

From the Thai word ไทย (tai), the name Thai people use for themselves.

From Old English cōl, going back through Proto-Germanic to a root meaning "to freeze" or "be cold" — the same ancient root that gave English the word "cold."

From Latin expressiō, "a pressing out", from the same root as "express".

From Old English fersc ("fresh, pure"), tracing back to a Proto-Germanic root meaning "fresh." Related to German frisch and French frais.

From Middle English lukewarm, combining an old word for "tepid" with warm. Related forms turn up across Germanic languages, including German lauwarm and Dutch lauw.

From Latin temperātūra, from the same root as "temper" — originally referring to a proper mixture or proportion.

From Old English wearm, from a Proto-Germanic root meaning "warm," possibly related to an ancient word for "to burn."