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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From a- (negative prefix) + Ancient Greek γεῦσις (geûsis, “taste”) + -ia. See also γεύω (geúō, “to taste”).

From arch- + magician.

Borrowed from Latin agōnista, from Ancient Greek ἀγωνιστής (agōnistḗs, “combatant, champion”). By surface analysis, agon or agony + -ist.

See Albion and Alba.

Borrowed from Italian Amati.

Borrowed from Latin arēnāceus, from arēna (“sand”).

From anacronym + -ic.

From allow + -ability.

Borrowed from Latin alluviō.

Coined in a paper in 1977 by J. Money et al. in the Journal of Sex Research,http://www.jstor.org/pss/3811894, from Ancient Greek ἀπό (apó, “away”) + τέμνω (témnō, “cut”) + -philia.

From Late Latin apologia, from Ancient Greek ἀπολογία (apología, “a speech in defense”), from ἀπολογοῦμαι (apologoûmai, “I speak in one's defense”), from ἀπόλογος (apólogos, “an account, story”), from ἀπό (apó, “from, off”) (see apo-) + λόγος (lógos, “speech”) + -ics.

From Anglo-Norman apescher, rare variant of Old French empescher, from Latin impedicō.

From Middle English auntreousliche, equivalent to adventurous + -ly.

From Latin asper (“rough, coarse”) + -ous.

Borrowed from French angevin.

From Latin arbor (“tree”) + cultūra (“tending”).

From Latin Artaxerxēs, from Ancient Greek Ἀρταξέρξης (Artaxérxēs), from Old Persian 𐎠𐎼𐎫𐎧𐏁𐏂𐎠 (a-r-t-x-š-ç-a /⁠R̥taxšaçāʰ⁠/, “whose rule is through truth”). Akin to Old Armenian Արտաշէս (Artašēs) and Persian اردشیر (ardašēr).

From Latin adulter.

From the genus name.

Borrowed from Latin advenire (“to come to, arrive at”), from ad (“to”) + venire (“to come”). Compare convene, intervene, supervene.

Borrowed from Ancient Greek ἀγαθοδαίμων (agathodaímōn).

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek Ἀγαυή (Agauḗ, “Agave”), from ἀγαυός (agauós, “noble, illustrious”).

Eponym from its chief proponent Arius, a priest in Alexandria circa 323 CE: Arian + -ism.

From Middle English [Term?], equivalent to after- + comer. Cognate with Scots eftercumar (“successor”).