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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disorganization

From French désorganiser. Equivalent to dis- + organization.

From disintegrate + -or.

Unknown; possibly Dobson + fly

From disarm + -er.

From dis- + punishable.

Irregular spelling of diet + -ician, probably influenced by dietetic.

PIE word *dwóh₁ From divide + -er.

From Middle English dissipacion, dissipacioun, from Late Latin dissipātiō. Morphologically dissipate + -ion.

From distribute + -ee.

From English dis- + favour, from Middle French desfaveur.

From dirt + ball.

From Hindi दो (do, “two”) + भाषा (bhāṣā, “languages”).

The adjective is first attested in 1661, the verb in 1657; the adjective was borrowed from Latin digitātus (see -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), the verb from digitātus, perfect passive participle of digitō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)).

From digitalis + -in.

Alteration of dom with the pseudo-French feminine inflection.

From Latin dilapidō (“to scatter, consume, throw away”) + -ate (verb-forming suffix), from dis- (“asunder”) + lapidō (“to stone”), from lapis (“stone”). Compare French dilapider.

Borrowed from Italian, from divertire (“to amuse, to entertain”), from Latin dīvertere.

Representing a southern United States pronunciation of W, the middle initial of George W. Bush.

From doss + -er.

From Old English dūnland, equivalent to down + land.

From donga (“transportable cabin”).

From district + -ual.

From Dutch, from dogger (“codfish”).

Borrowed from Italian diminuendo.