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 fulfil + -ness.

From Middle English fulth, fulthe; equivalent to full + -th (abstract nominal suffix). Compare Old English fylleþ (“fullness”, in compounds) and Middle High German vüllede (“fullness”).

From geology + -ic, perhaps after French géologique.

From the New Latin genus name Glyptodon (from Ancient Greek Ancient Greek γλυπτός (gluptós, “sculptured”) + -odon (“tooth”), 'grooved or carved tooth').

From a medieval diminutive of the given name Gill.

Back-formation from ghostwriter.

From frontiers + man.

Borrowed from French galimatias, first attested in 1653 in Sir Thomas Urquhart's translation of Rabelais's works.

From gay + -ful.

From a medieval variant of the given name William.

Borrowed from Hebrew גלגול.

Learned borrowing from Latin gladiolus (“little sword, sword lily”), diminutive of gladius (“sword”). Compare Middle English gladiol, whence gladiole.

By surface analysis, gaol + -er.

From gemma + -ation.

From gag + -man.

Probably a variant of Gilchrist.

From Low German glibberig, glibberich (“slippery”). or Dutch glibberig (“slippery”).

From Gallo- + -phone.

From fund + raise, probably a back-formation from fundraising.

From Middle English ganet, gante, from Old English ganot, from Proto-West Germanic *ganat, *ganatō, from Proto-Germanic *ganatuz, *ganutô (“gander”), ultimately related to Proto-Germanic *ganzô. Cognates Cognate with Dutch gent, Middle Low German gante, German Ganter, Ganser, all “gander, male goose”.

Borrowed from Latin glandula, from glans + -ulus. Doublet of glanders.

Compare gloaming.

Of uncertain origin.

From French gastronomique.