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 Late Latin maleficiatus, past participle of maleficiare (“to bewitch”).

Borrowed from Latin novum.

From in- + doctrine + -ate (verb-forming suffix). Compare French endoctriner.

From Latin imperiōsus (“mighty, powerful”), from imperium (“command, authority, power”).

From in- + combinable.

From indemn (“unhurt”) + -ify (forming verbs)

From Latin lexis, from Ancient Greek λέξις (léxis, “word”) + -al.

Borrowed from Italian lento.

From Middle English prolongacioun, from Old French prolongation, from Late Latin prōlongātiō, from prōlongātus, perfect passive participle of Latin prōlongō, from prō + longus. By surface analysis, prolong + -ation.

From onto- + -genesis.

From incubate + -ive.

From metal + working.

From Ancient Greek πλουτοκρατία (ploutokratía, “rule of the wealthy”), from πλουτοκρατέω (ploutokratéō, “I rule through wealth”), from πλοῦτος (ploûtos, “wealth”) + κρατέω (kratéō, “I rule”) (from κράτος (krátos, “power”, “might”)).

From Old French restituer, from Latin restituō (“replace, restore”).

From Latin pellicula, from pellis (“skin”). Doublet of pellicule.

From hatch + -ling. Sense 2 in reference to the term crack one's egg (“realize one is transgender”).

From French millimètre, as if milli- + meter.

* night + walker * (vampire): since they are traditionally said to avoid sunlight and go out at night.

From Middle English medicament, either from Middle French médicament or its etymon, Latin medicāmentum.

From Late Middle English rasen, rasyn (“to rage; to enrage (?)”), probably from Middle Dutch râsen, râzen (“to be extremely angry, rage; to be mad, rave; to talk nonsense; of a dog: to be rabid”), from Old Dutch *rāson (modern Dutch razen), from Proto-West Germanic *rāsōn (“to rush”), Proto-Germanic *rēsōną (“to rush”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁reh₁s- (“to flow; to rush”). cognates * Swedish rasa (“rage”)

Borrowed from Arabic إِيوَان (ʔīwān), from Classical Persian اَیْوَان (aywān, “porch”); see there for more. Doublet of apadana.

From medication + -al.

From oblivion + -ate (verb-forming suffix), itself either from Old French oblivion (13th century) or directly from Latin oblīviō, ultimately from oblīvīscor (“to forget”), originally “even out, smooth over, erase”; further perhaps from ob- (“against, towards”) + the root of lēvis (“smooth”) + -scor (“forming inchoative verbs”).

From normal + -hood.