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.

Browse etymology by letter

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Recently added

From kawaii + -ness.

First attested in 1822; borrowed from Latin iactitātus, perfect passive participle of iactitō, see -ate (verb-forming suffix).

Borrowed from Middle French judaique (modern French judaïque) and its etymon Latin iūdaicus, from Ancient Greek Ἰουδαϊκός (Ioudaïkós), ultimately from Hebrew יְהוּדָה (y'hudá, “Judah”). By surface analysis, Juda + -ic.

From iron + side, from a nickname of Oliver Cromwell's: "Old Ironsides".

From Middle English inanicioun, borrowed from Old French inanition, itself borrowed from Late Latin inānītio, from inānīre (“to make empty”), from inānis (“empty, vain”); see inane.

From Middle English kipe, kype, from Old English cȳpe, cȳpa (“basket”), from Proto-Germanic *kipǭ, *kippǭ, from Proto-Indo-European *gey- (“to bend, twist”). Akin to Middle Low German kīpe ("basket"; > German Low German Kiep, Kiepke (“basket”), German Kiepe (“carrying basket”)), Norwegian kaup (“wooden box; crate”).

From in- + chastity: compare French inchasteté.

From Dutch kielhalen (“keelhaul”), from kiel (“keel”) + halen (“fetch; catch”).

From Jeeves, famous valet from the stories of P. G. Wodehouse, + -ian.

From justified + -ly.

From Latin iūdaeus [from Ancient Greek Ἰουδαῖος (Ioudaîos), from Ἰουδά (Ioudá, “Judah”) + -ιος (-ios)] + -an. By surface analysis, Judah + -ean.

Unadapted borrowing from Medieval Latin īnstanter (“immediately”), originally “vehemently” in Classical Latin.

Back-formation from Middle English infixed (“stuck in”), from Latin infixus, past participle of infigō (“to fasten in”).

From joke + -some.

Probably from Middle French irresolution (modern French irrésolution), from ir- + resolution (“resolution”); compare Italian irresoluzione. By surface analysis, ir- + resolution.

Clipping of projects.

First attested in 1672; from in- + osculate or its Latin etymon ōsculātus, perfect active participle of Latin osculor (“to kiss”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)) from ōsculum (“a kiss”). The adjective is a back-formation from inosculation, see -ate (adjective-forming suffix).

Borrowed from Latin īnfarctus, tu-stem derivation of īnfarciō.

From Russian интеллиге́нция (intelligéncija) or Polish inteligencja, from Latin intellegentia (“intelligence”). Doublet of intelligence.

From Latin iūglāns (“walnut, walnut tree”).

katagelasticism

Coined by Willibald Ruch and René T. Proyer, assisted by Christian F. Hempelmann and Sean Harrigan, from Ancient Greek καταγελαστής (katagelastḗs, “mocker”), from καταγελάω (katageláō, “to laugh at, jeer at, laugh down”), from κατά (katá, “downwards”) + γελάω (geláō, “to laugh”).

From Japanese 切り紙 (きりがみ, kirigami), from 切り (きり, kiri, “to cut”) + 紙 (かみ, kami, “paper”).

By surface analysis, Latin itiner- + -ate.

From kibitz + -er.