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 avis, from a phrase meaning "it is to my view" — the "d" was added later by mistaken association with words like "advance."

From Old French adorer, from Latin adorare ("to pray to"), from ad- ("to") + orare ("to speak, pray").

From Latin adamas ("hard as steel"), from Greek adamas ("invincible"). A doublet of "diamond," which comes from the same root.

From Latin accidens, "happening," from accidere, "to fall upon" or "to occur," built from ad- ("to") plus cadere ("to fall").

From Old English mona, from an ancient Germanic word for "moon" that shares its root with month — the moon's cycle was one of the earliest ways people measured time.

A shortened, worn-down form of Old English eallswā ("just so, all so"), which also gave us the word "also."

From Latin ars ("skill, craft"), via Old French art — it displaced the native Old English word "cræft," which survives today as "craft."

From Old English earm, going back through Proto-Germanic to a very old Indo-European root meaning "to join or fit together" — the same root that gives Latin armus ("shoulder") and, further along, the word "army."

From Latin argumentum, from arguere, "to make clear, prove."

From approve plus the noun-forming suffix -al.

From Old French Amee (modern French Aimée), from Latin Amata ("beloved").

From Old English aenig, related to "one" — originally meant something close to "any single one."

From Old English aemete ("ant"), probably originally meaning "biting thing, cutter."

From Old English andswaru, built from and- ("against") plus swaru ("statement, affirmation") — originally meaning something like a sworn reply rebutting a charge.

From Middle English angry, based on the noun anger, ultimately from Old Norse angr.

From Latin angulus ("corner"), which also gave English the word "ankle."

From Old French amonter, "to go up, to add up to", from a mont, "toward a mountain" — from Latin ad montem, "to the mountain".

From Old English eallmæst, built from all + most.

From Old English eall, an ancient Germanic word going back to a prehistoric Indo-European root meaning simply "all."

From Old French air, from Latin aer, from Ancient Greek aer.

From French Québec, from Algonquin kepék ("(it) narrows"), referring to where the Saint Lawrence River narrows near Quebec City.

From Old French querele, "complaint, dispute," from Latin querela, "complaint," ultimately from queri, "to complain."

From Italian quarantina, "about forty," after the original 40-day isolation period imposed on ships arriving in Venice during plague outbreaks.

From Latin quantitas, built on quantus, meaning "how much."