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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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Compare French auditif.

From bargain + -ous.

From ballistic + -al.

From Ancient Greek αὔξησις (aúxēsis, “growth”), from αὐξάνω (auxánō, “to grow”).

From back + pedal.

Modern altered spelling of Aubrey as a feminine name.

From Ancient Greek ἀστερισμός (asterismós, “a group of stars”), from ἀστήρ (astḗr, “star”). Analyzable as aster- + -ism.

From Middle English baleyne, from Old French baleine (“whale, whalebone”), from Latin balaena (“whale”), from Ancient Greek φάλαινα (phálaina, “whale”).

From Arabic بَشِير (bašīr, “bringer of good news”)

Compound of back + rest.

An alteration of bans.

From Latin augurātus (“augurate”). By surface analysis, augur + -ate (forms nouns denoting rank or office).

From Middle English atrayen, atreyen, atreȝen, equivalent to a- + tray (“to grieve, vex”). More at tray.

Borrowed from German Bayer. The surname is converged from both Bavaria and Middle High German beieren (“to ring a bell”).

From Middle English atspringen, ætspringen, from Old English ætspringan (“to rush forth, spurt out, spring out”), equivalent to at- + spring. Compare Dutch ontspringen (“to spring, well, outflow”), German entspringen (“to spring from, escape, arise”).

From a diminutive form of Bartholomew + -son.

Irregular formation from Latin audire + -ilis. By surface analysis, audio + -ile.

From battle + wagon.

From be- (“around, about, completely”) + grasp.

From Old French benefice, from Latin beneficium.

From Batte, a Middle English pet-form of Bartholomew.

From auto- + cue, originally a trademark.

Blend of bar + dumbbell. The piercing is named after the exercise equipment, because of the visual resemblance.

From back + -al, in humorous reference to frontal. Used since at least the 1970s.