Etymology — The Origins of English Words

From after- + bear (“one who is”, literally “be-er”), modelled after forebear (literally “fore-be-er”).

From always + -ness.

French appointé, from appointer.

From Spanish Isla de los Alcatraces (“island of gannets”), named by Juan Manuel de Ayala, an explorer of San Francisco Bay.

From all + gate (compare Old Norse alla götu).

From ass + pussy, implying it can be used like a vagina.

From Middle English arbere, arber, an alteration of herber, erber (“pleasure garden; herb garden”) influenced by Latin arbor (“tree”).

From Ancient Greek ἀγορά (agorá, “agora (open place for assembly and market)”) + -ism. Coined by Samuel Edward Konkin III in his 1980 New Libertarian Manifesto.

Borrowed from Classical Latin angulātus, from angulus (“angle”) + -ātus.

From airman + -ship.

From anti- + microbe + -ial.

From a- (“without”) + -mastia (“breast”).

From Ancient Greek ἀμίαντος (amíantos, “undefiled”), from ἀ- (a-, “not”) + μιαίνω (miaínō, “I defile”).

Borrowed from French affreux.

Borrowed from Afrikaans Afrikaner.

From the Late Latin appellātīvus, from the stem appella- (“to call”), with the adjectival suffix -ive.

First attested in the 1690s. From Medieval Latin abyssalis, from Latin abyssus (“abyss”) + -alis (“-al”). Equivalent to abyss + -al.

Derived form of variable, from Old French variable; see variable + -ity.

From usable + -ity or use + -ability.

Learned borrowing from Late Latin acrasia (“lack of temperance”), and from its etymon Ancient Greek ᾰ̓κρᾱσῐ́ᾱ (ăkrāsĭ́ā, “bad mixture”), from ἄκρᾱτος (ákrātos, “pure, unmixed; of a person: intemperate, violent”) + -ῐ́ᾱ (-ĭ́ā, suffix forming feminine abstract nouns). Ἄκρᾱτος (Ákrātos) is derived from ᾰ̓- (ă-, prefix forming terms having a sense opposite to the stems or words to which it is attached) + κεράννυμι (keránnumi, “to blend, mix; to cool or temper by mixing”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱerh₂- (“head, top; horn”)) + -τος (-tos, suffix forming adjectives). Doublet of acrasy.

From Middle English witherward, from Old English wiþerweard (“contrary, adverse, hostile”), from Proto-West Germanic *wiþraward, from Proto-Germanic *wiþrawardaz (“contrary, adverse, in opposition”); equivalent to wither (“against”) + -ward. Cognate with Old High German widarwart (“witherward”), German widerwärtig (“adverse, repulsive”), Gothic 𐍅𐌹𐌸𐍂𐌰𐍅𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌸𐍃 (wiþrawairþs, “witherward”).

From womanise + -er.

Borrowed from Spanish abogado, from Latin advocātus, from advocō (“to call, summon”). Doublet of advocate.

From Aaron + -son.