Etymology — The Origins of English Words

layperson

Origin

A lay (“non-clergy, nonclergy”) + person, along the lines of layman.

laxation

Origin

From Latin laxātiō, from laxō (“to loosen”), from laxus (“loose, slack”).

ingle

Origin

Unknown.

initialize

Origin

From initial + -ize.

marquisate

Origin

From marquis + -ate (forms nouns denoting rank or office, the concrete charge of it), on the pattern of Middle French marquisat, Italian marchesato.

likeliness

Origin

From Middle English liklinesse, lyklinesse; equivalent to likely + -ness.

outbuilding

Origin

From out + building.

overpoise

Origin

From over- + poise.

quaver

Origin

From Middle English quaveren, frequentative form of quaven, cwavien (“to tremble”), equivalent to quave + -er. Cognate with Low German quabbeln (“to quiver”), German quabbeln, quappeln (“to quiver”). More at quave, quab, quiver.

oscitancy

Origin

From Latin oscitans + -cy, present participle of ōscitō (“to yawn, gape, open the mouth”), from Latin os (“the mouth”).

ort

Origin

From Middle English orte, from Old English *oreta (“that which is left after eating”, literally “out-eat”); for more, see Old English or-, English eat. Cognate with Middle Low German orte (“refuse of food”), Middle Dutch ooraete, ooreete, Low German ort (“ort”), Middle High German urez, German Uräß and also German Ort (“quarter (of a thaler, etc)”). As the term for a coin, probably borrowed from the central European languages which used it: German Ort (“quarter (of a thaler)”), Polish ort (“coin”), etc.

intensification

Origin

From intense + -ification.

heft

Origin

The noun is derived from Late Middle English heft (“heaviness; something heavy, a weight”), from heven (“to lift, raise”) + -th (suffix denoting a condition, quality, state of being, etc., forming nouns), by analogy with the development of weft from weven (modern English weave), etc. (also compare words like cleft from cleave, and theft from thieve, where the development occurred in Old English or earlier languages). The English word is analysable as heave + -t (suffix forming nouns from verbs). The verb is probably derived from the noun.

participial

Origin

From Latin participiālis, from participium (“participle”).

indigence

Origin

From Middle English indigence, late 14th century, from Old French indigence (13th century), from Latin indigentia, from indigentem, form of indigēre (“to need”), from indu (“in, within”) + egēre (“be in need, want”). Only relation to antonym affluence is common Latinate suffix + -ence.

pelisse

Origin

Borrowed from French pelisse, from Late Latin pellicia, from Latin pellis (“skin”). Doublet of pilch.

impoverish

Origin

From Middle English empoverishen, impoverishen, empoverischen, enpoverisshen, Anglo-Norman empoveriss-, from Old French empoverir, from em- + povre, from Latin pauper (“poor”) (English poor).

kobold

Origin

Borrowed from German Kobold. Doublet of cobalt.

psychical

Origin

From Ancient Greek ψυχικός (psukhikós) + -al. By surface analysis, psyche + -ical.

immortalise

Origin

From immortal + -ise. Perhaps modelled on Middle French immortaliser.

immunization

Origin

From French immunisation. Coined by Albert Calmette. Equivalent to immunize + -ation or immune + -ization.

lodgment

Origin

From Middle French logement, from loger (“to lodge”) + -ment.

neckband

Origin

From neck + band.

pungency

Origin

From pungent + -cy.