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 Latin Histria, from Ancient Greek Ἱστρία (Histría), named after Ἵστρων (Hístrōn) (ἔθνος (éthnos)), the ethnicon of the Illyrian/Venetic tribe of the Histri who inhabited the region. The name could itself be related to Hister, a Roman name for the Danube, from Ancient Greek Ἰστρίη (Istríē), the Dacian-Thracian name for the river god Danubius, a name meaning "swift," and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dʰenh₂- (“to flow”). Also see Histria.

First attested in 1670; borrowed from Latin īnsufflātus, perfect passive participle of īnsufflō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)) from in- + sufflō (“to blow on”). Cognate with French insuffler.

From intersection + -al.

From kettle + drum.

From in- + tastable.

From jot + -er.

From Latin inquināre (“polluting”).

From jack (“common man or sailor”) + tar (“tarpaulin”), used for a common sailor dating back to the 1600s.

individualistic

From individualist + -ic or individual + -istic.

From kitsch + -y. Compare German kitschig (“kitschy”).

From in- + cognizable.

From Old French juglerie, jouglerie, from jouglere (“juggler”).

From iodic acid + -ate.

Apparently from obsolete Dutch huisenblas, from German Hausenblase, from Hausen (“sturgeon of the Huso genus”) + Blase (“bladder”), with alteration after glass.

From Old Welsh Cynbel, from cyn (“chief”) + bel (“war”). Possibly also from Old English Cynebeald.

From Latin inēbriāns (“intoxicating”).

From Jumbo + -mania.

Borrowing from Latin isthmus (“a strip of land between two seas”), from Ancient Greek ῐ̓σθμός (ĭsthmós, “neck, narrow passage”), possibly from εἶμῐ (eîmĭ, “to go”). Cognate to Old Norse eið (“isthmus”).

Borrowed from New Latin japonicus.

Probably from Arabic جُرَذ (juraḏ, “a rat”) in a vulgar pronunciation.

From ingle (“open fireplace”) + nook.

Borrowed from Arabic قَات (qāt).

From kindergarten + -er, with spelling influenced by German Kindergärtner (“kindergarten teacher”).

From independent + -cy.