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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inaccessibility

From Middle French inaccessibilité, from Latin inaccessibilitas.

Derived from Scottish Gaelic Ìle, but probably ultimately of non-Indo-European (substrate) origin, along with other uncertain names in Scotland such as Skye, Lewis, and Arran. Watson (1926) hinted that a Proto-Brythonic/Proto-Celtic root connected to Gaulish *ilio (“flank, buttock”) or Welsh ilio (“to ferment”) might be behind the name. The silent s in this word, as in island, is due to an unetymological association with isle.

From Latin influent-, the present participle stem of īnfluere.

From Latin indicans.

From Middle English jacynct, partly from Old French jacincte, and partly from Old English iacinþ, both from Medieval Latin jacintus, jacinthus, from Latin hyacinthus, from Ancient Greek ὑάκινθος (huákinthos). Doublet of hyacinth.

From Middle English inobedient, from Old French inobedient, from Latin inoboediens (“not obedient”), present participle of inoboedire (“to disobey”). Compare French inobedient. See obedient.

irreversibility

From irreversible + -ity or ir- + reversibility.

From French inattention.

The verb is first attested in 1578, the adjective in 1647; borrowed from Latin incurvātus, perfect passive participle of incurvō, see -ate (adjective-forming suffix) and -ate (verb-forming suffix).

From Middle French justiciable.

Learned borrowing from Latin inoculum.

From Latin indictivus. See indict.

irresolvability

From ir- + resolve + -ability.

From Middle French impudicité, from Latin impudicus (“shameless, immodest”) + Middle French -ité. By surface analysis, im- + pudic + -ity.

From inversion + -ism.

From irid- + -in, as it is obtained from the iris plant.

From jerk + -o.

From Latin iūridiciālis, though see usage notes.

From the Hanyu Pinyin romanization of the Mandarin 薊州 /蓟州 (Jìzhōu).

From Latin intrāneus (“from within”).

From in- + cohesive.

From kilo- + meter.

From Japanese 欅.