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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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Borrowed from Medieval Latin aperitivus, from Late Latin apertivus, from Latin aperio. Doublet of apéritif, from French.

From angel + -ology.

From Ancient Greek ἀναλυτικός (analutikós).

From anti- + national.

From international scientific vocabulary, reflecting New Latin combining forms: amoeb- + -iasis.

From New Latin anergia, from Ancient Greek ἀν- (an-, “not, without”) + ἔργον (érgon, “work”).

From a- + kilter?

From French alcali, from Medieval Latin alcali, ultimately from Arabic اَلْقِلْي (al-qily, “alkali, ashes (in reference to ashes of the saltwort)”), related to قَلَى (qalā, “to roast in a pan, fry”).

Blend of ambidextrous + sex.

The noun is borrowed from Russian агитпро́п (agitpróp, “agitprop”), Агитпро́п (Agitpróp, “Agitprop (Department for Agitation and Propaganda of the Soviet Union)”), short for отде́л агитации и пропаганды (otdél agitacii i propagandy, “Department for Agitation and Propaganda”); analysable as a blend of agitation + propaganda. The verb is derived from the noun.

From alms + -less.

Latin artificiosus.

From Middle English aube, awbe, albe, abbe, from Late Old English albe (but later reinforced by Old French aube, Medieval Latin alba), borrowed from Latin alba (as in tunica alba (“white tunic”), vestis alba (“white garment”)), feminine of albus (“white”). Doublet of alba.

From archdiocese + -an.

anticannibalism

From anti- + cannibalism.

From Middle English amercement, from Anglo-Norman amercier + -ment, from Old French à merci. Also from Medieval Latin amerciamentum, from amerciari + -amentum, learned Latinization of Anglo-Norman amerciament, amercement, amerciment. Equivalent to amerce + -ment.

From after- + come. Compare Scots eftercum (“aftercome”).

From aorta + -al.

From Latin amphoricus (“of or related to an amphora”), from amphora + -icus (“-ic: forming adj.”). Equivalent to amphora + -ic.

Borrowed from German Ambivalenz (“simultaneous conflicting feelings”), from Latin ambi- (“both”) and valentia (“strength”), from the verb valere (“to be strong”) (see valiant); spelled on the model of French-origin words ending in -ence. The German term was coined by Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler in 1910; by 1929, it had taken on a broader literary and general sense. Equivalent to ambi- + valence.

From asphyxiate + -or.

From anti- + theist.

From analgesic + -ize.

Learned borrowing from Late Latin albūmen (“egg white, albumen; type of eye disease”) (whence Late Middle English albuminium (“clear fluid in the eyeball between the cornea and lens, aqueous humour”)), from Latin albus (“white”, adjective) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *albʰós (“white”, adjective)) + -men (suffix forming nouns), modelled after ferrūmen (“cement; glue”). The plural form albumina is a learned borrowing from Late Latin albūmina.