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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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From French pacifisme, from pacifique; pacific + -ism.

From Middle English popinjay, popyngeay, popingay, popejay, from Anglo-Norman papegai, papejoie et al., (northern) Old French papejai (“parrot”), probably from Old Occitan papagay (compare Occitan papagai, Catalan papagai), ultimately from Arabic بَبْغَاء (babḡāʔ, “parrot”), of imitative origin.

(c. 1425 to 1475) From late Middle English paterfamilias, from Latin pater familiās. From Latin pater (“father”) + familiās, archaic genitive of familia (“family; household”). Literally, "father of the family" or "father of the household".

From one + -ship.

From Middle English kitthe (“kinsmen, relations”), from Old English cȳþþ, cȳþþu (“kinship, kinsfolk, relations”), from Proto-Germanic *kunþiþō (“knowledge, acquaintance”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- (“to know”). Cognate with Old High German kundida (“kith”), kundī (“knowledge”), Gothic 𐌺𐌿𐌽𐌸𐌹 (kunþi, “knowledge”). More at couth, -th.

From non- + transparent.

UK 19th century. Probably from Spanish vamos (“we go”) or vámonos (“let's go”). Possibly influenced by German nehmen (“to take”). Cognate with English vamoose. Possibly backslang from summon.

From imperialist + -ic or imperial + -istic.

From Middle English rymare, from Old English rīmere (“a compouter, reckoner, calculator”), equivalent to rhyme + -er. Cognate with Dutch rijmer, German Reimer, Danish rimer, Swedish rimmare, Icelandic rímari. More at rhyme.

From heart + sore. Compare Saterland Frisian Haatseer (“heartache”), West Frisian hertsear (“heartache”), Dutch hartzeer (“heartache”), German Low German Hartsehr (“heartache”).

From over- + Anglo-Norman plus, Middle French plus.

From hand + rail.

A spelling variant of MacDonald.

Variant of McGregor.

From Middle English pakkynge; equivalent to pack (“verb and noun senses”) + -ing.

Borrowed from Arabic جَانّ (jānn).

Possibly from Dutch neuken (“to fuck”). Compare cognate and synonymous German Low German nöken, nucken.

From Middle English persecutour, from Old French persecutor and Latin persecūtor. Displaced native Old English ēhtere.

From Middle French impermanence, equivalent to im- + permanence.

From French quintillion. By surface analysis, quint- (“five”) + -illion.

From Middle English impairen, empeiren, from Old French empeirier, from Early Medieval Latin impeiōrāre, from in- + Late Latin peiōrāre (“worsen”), from peiōrem (“worse”), comparative of malus (“bad”).

From Middle English rectificacioun, from Old French rectificacion, from Late Latin rectificatio.

By analogy with eyesore and earsore.

From nectar + -ine.