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 French commanderie, from Late Latin commendaria, from Latin commendare. In the Chinese administrative division sense, used as a translation of 府 (fǔ) and 郡 (jùn).

From Middle English cohabitacioun, from Old French cohabitacion and Late Latin cohabitātiō. By surface analysis, co- + habitation.

Borrowed from French convive.

Borrowed from French conjoncture.

Latin compulsāt- (perfect passive participial stem of the Latin compulsō) + English -ory

From Italian condottiere, from Latin conductus (“assembled, collected”).

From cornflake + -y.

Blend of communist + Nazi.

Probably from Malay kutu (“flea, louse”) (and/or Tagalog/Māori). First attested in English in 1917 as British army slang during World War I.

From cosmetics + -ician.

From Medieval Latin connotō (“signify beyond literal meaning”), from com- (“together”), + notō (“mark”).

From council + member.

From Latin-type *cōnsultātīvus (probably used in Medieval Latin), from cōnsultāt-, past participial stem of cōnsultō, + -īvus. By surface analysis, consult + -ative.

From Middle English commensal, from Old French commensal, from Medieval Latin commensālis, from com- + mensa (“table”) + -ālis.

Borrowed from French concrétion, or Latin concretio.

contemporaneous

From Latin contemporāneus (“contemporary”), from con- (“with”) + tempus (“time”) + -aneus (“of or pertaining to”) (compare Late Latin temporāneus (“opportune, timely”)).

From Columbia + -n.

A pun on copyright, which refers to using copyright laws for purposes that are in some ways contrary to copyright's original intent.

From corrected + -ness.

From Latin columbarium, columba (“a dove”).

From Middle English contrary-wyse; equivalent to contrary + -wise.

From cool + chest. Compare West Frisian kuolkast and Dutch koelkast (literally “cool-chest”), German Kühlschrank.

From colonialist + -ic.

Blend of copyright + wrong.