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 New Latin ischaemia, from Ancient Greek ἴσχαιμος (ískhaimos, “stoppage of blood flow”), from ῐ̓́σχω (ĭ́skhō, “to hold back, restrain; to stay, stop”) + αἷμᾰ (haîmă, “blood”). The plural form ischemiae is also from New Latin ischaemiae.

From Old French jaque (“coat of mail”).

From Middle English interjeccioun, from Old French interjection (13th century), from Latin interiectiōnem, accusative singular of interiectiō (“throwing or placing between; interjection”), perfect passive participle of intericiō (“throw or place between”), from inter (“between”) + iaciō (“throw”). Displaced Old English betwēoxāworpennes (literally “between-thrown-out-ness”), a calque of the Latin.

From insular + -ism.

First attested in 1622. From Italian ingraziare or Medieval Latin *ingratiatus, from Latin in grātiam (“for the favor of”).

From infinitive + -al.

inapprehensible

Either from the Late Latin inapprehensibilis or formed in English as in- + apprehensible.

Borrowed from Latin infrigidatio + English -ion.

Calque of Swedish inrundning.

From Middle English *inbreken, from Old English inbrecan (“to break into”), equivalent to in- + break. Cognate with Dutch inbreken (“to break in”), German einbrechen (“to break in”).

From Middle English jolyfte, from Old French joliveté (“gaiety, cheerfulness; amorous passion; life of pleasure”), from jolif. Equivalent to jolly + -ty.

From Latin īnflectō, from in- (“in”) + flectō (“to bend”).

From interrogate + -ee.

From in- + migration.

From improper + -ness.

From Middle English Jewery, from Old French juerie. By surface analysis, Jew + -ry.

From induct + -ee.

By surface analysis, Latin itiner- + -ancy.

Borrowed from Sanskrit जनक (janaka).

From French itinérance. By surface analysis, Latin itiner- + -ance.

From Middle English endetten, Old French endetter, from en- + detter, from dette (“debt”), by surface analysis, in- + debt. See debt.

From jury + -man.

Diminutive of jam, from another nickname for the club, Jam Tarts, as rhyming slang for Hearts.