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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 New Latin abortus (“miscarriage”). Doublet of abort.

From French utiliser, from Italian utilizzare, from utile (“useful”), from Latin ūtilis, from ūtī (“use”). Attested c. 1810.

From Arabic أَبْدَال (ʔabdāl), plural of بَدَل (badal, “a substitute; a good, religious man; saint”), from بَدَلَ (badala, “to replace”).

From Latin abigeatus, from the verb ab agō (“to drive”).

From Middle English abettour, from Anglo-Norman abettour, from Old French abeter + -our (“-or”). See abet.

From Middle English accepcioun, from Middle French accepcion (Modern French acception) and Latin acceptiō, acceptiōnis (“acceptance”). By surface analysis, accept + -ion.

* First attested in 1541. * Borrowed from Latin acclāmātiō, acclāmātiōnis (“calling, exclamation, shout of approval”), from acclamo (“shout approval or disapproval of, shout out at”), from ad (“toward”) + clamo (“cry out”) * Compare French acclamation.

From Japanese 草履 (zōri).

Borrowed from French vinaigrette. Sense 4 (“type of Russian salad”) is a semantic loan from Russian винегре́т (vinegrét), whence also the doublet vinegret.

From Late Latin abecedarius (from the first four letters of the Latin alphabet + -arius). Equivalent to abecedary + -an. Compare abecedary.

From Middle English untime, untyme, ontyme, from Old English untīma (“an unseasonable time”), from Proto-Germanic *untīmô, equivalent to un- + time. Cognate with Old Norse útími (dialectal Norwegian otime).

From Latin adduco. Equivalent to adduct + -or.

From Middle English warmnesse, from Old English wearmnes (“warmness, warmth”), from Proto-West Germanic *warmnassī (“warmness, warmth”), equivalent to warm + -ness. Cognate with Scots warmnes (“warmness”), West Frisian waarmens (“warmness”), dialectal Dutch warmenesse, warmnis (“warmness”), German Low German Warmnis (“warmness”).

From un- + sane.

From Middle English holsumnesse, equivalent to wholesome + -ness.

From villain + -hood.

From New Latin, from Ancient Greek ἀβακίσκος (abakískos, “a coloured stone for laying mosaic”), diminutive of ἄβαξ (ábax, “board”). See abacus.

Latin venditio: compare French vendition.

From Latin vacillātum, supine form of vacillō (“sway, waver”). By surface analysis, Latin vacill- + -ate.

The given names are diminutives + -ie.

From Latin acceptilatio (“entry of a debt collected, acquittance”), from past participle of accipere (compare accept) + latio (“a carrying”), from latus, past participle of ferre (“to carry”).

From Middle English unlerned (“not taught, uneducated”). By surface analysis, un- (“not”) + learned (“educated”).

From wave + -let; a calque of French ondelette, from onde (“wave”) + -ette (diminutive suffix).

Back-formation from disabled.