Etymology — The Origins of English Words

pellage

Origin

From French pellage, from Latin pellicula, from pellis (“a skin”). By surface analysis, pell + -age.

pasturage

Origin

From Middle French pasturage (modern French pâturage). By surface analysis, pasture + -age.

impenitent

Origin

The adjective is derived from Late Middle English impenitent (“not penitent, unrepentant”), from Latin impaenitentem, the accusative feminine or masculine singular of impaenitēns (“unrepentant”), from im- (a variant of in- (prefix meaning ‘not’) + paenitēns (“contrite, penitent, regretting, repenting”) (the present active participle of paeniteō (“to be sorry, regret; to cause to repent; to repent”), from Proto-Indo-European *peh₁- (“to hate; to hurt”)). By surface analysis, im- + penitent. The noun is derived from the adjective.

oleomargarine

Origin

From French oléomargarine, from oléo- (“oleo-”) + margarine (“margarin”).

kocay

Origin

From Middle English cokei (“stream; drain, gutter”).

intermit

Origin

From Latin intermittere, from inter- + mittere.

pellagra

Origin

From Italian pellagra, from Latin pellis (“skin”) + Ancient Greek ἄγρα (ágra, “seizure, attack, catching”).

liquidator

Origin

From liquidate + -or.

grotch

Origin

Coined by American journalist Dean Grennell.

lade

Origin

From Middle English laden, from Old English hladan and Old English hleadan, from Proto-West Germanic *hlaþan, from Proto-Germanic *hlaþaną (“to load”), from Proto-Indo-European *kleh₂- (“to put, lay out”).

rescript

Origin

From Latin rescriptum (“written reply”).

rebutter

Origin

From rebut + -er.

inbreathe

Origin

From Middle English inbrethen, equivalent to in- + breathe.

munificent

Origin

Back-formation from munificence, from Latin mūnificentia.

justiciar

Origin

From Late Latin justitiarius and justiciarius (“justiciar, judge, justice [of the peace]; judiciary, related to justice”), from Latin iūstitia (“justice”) + -āria (“-ary”). As a translation of various Continental European offices, via Middle French justicier, Spanish justiciero, justicia mayor, etc.

noontide

Origin

From Middle English non-tyde, from Old English nōntīd (“noontide”), equivalent to noon + tide.

pother

Origin

Origin uncertain. Compare Dutch peuteren (“to rummage, poke”), and English potter, pudder.

habituate

Origin

Inherited from Middle English habituat(e) (“physically established or present”), borrowed from Late Latin habituātus, perfect passive participle of habituō (“to bring into a condition or habit of body”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix).

oesophagus

Origin

From Ancient Greek οἰσοφάγος (oisophágos), from οἴσω (oísō), future form of φέρω (phérō, “to carry”) + ἔφαγον (éphagon, “to eat”).

remugient

Origin

From (the stem of) Latin remugiens, present participle of remugire. See mugient.

prefatory

Origin

From Medieval Latin *praefator + -ory (“agent”), from Medieval Latin prefatia (whence preface), for classical Latin praefatio (“a saying beforehand”) – see preface for details. Note that this is borrowed from Latin, not derived in English from preface, as in occasional misspelling *prefecatory.

prognostication

Origin

From Old French pronosticacion, from Medieval Latin prognosticatio.

ophthalmic

Origin

Borrowed from Latin ophthalmicus, from Ancient Greek ὀφθᾰλμῐκός (ophthălmĭkós, “of or for the eyes”), from ὀφθᾰλμός (ophthălmós, “eye”) + -ῐκός (-ĭkós, “-ic”, adjectival suffix).

quizzer

Origin

From quiz + -er.