Etymology — The Origins of English Words

megalomania

Origin

Borrowed from French mégalomanie; equivalent to megalo- + -mania.

muscovite

Origin

1535. From Latin Moscovita (“resident of Moscow or Muscovy, Russian”), also Muscovita, Moschovita, from Moscovia or Muscovia (“Muscovy”) + -ita.

malapropos

Origin

From French mal à propos, from mal (“bad, badly”) and à propos (“appropriate, relevant”).

nursling

Origin

From nurse + -ling.

heyo

Origin

From hey + -o.

prefigure

Origin

From Middle English prefiguren, from Latin praefigurare, from figurare (“to shape, picture”).

resolvent

Origin

From Latin resolvēns, present participle of resolvere: compare French résolvant. See resolve.

munted

Origin

Possible etymologies: * From a Germanic language; compare Danish munter, German munter, Old High German muntar, all meaning "lively" or "merry". * From Scottish Gaelic mùin (“to urinate, piss”), thus analogous to the sense "pissed". * Blend of monged + cunted.

quiescent

Origin

Learned borrowing from Latin quiēscēns, quiēscentem.

horrify

Origin

From horror + -ify, or borrowed from Latin horrificare (cf. French horrifier). 1791, in form horrifying.

peltry

Origin

From Old French peleterie, the trade of a skinner or peltmonger (peletier). Equivalent to pelt + -ry.

mattock

Origin

From Middle English mattok (“mattock, pickaxe”), from Old English mattuc, meottoc, mettoc (“mattock, fork, trident”), from Proto-West Germanic *mattjuk (“mattock, ploughshare”), from Proto-Indo-European *met- (“to cut, reap”). Related to Old High German medela (“plough”), Middle High German metze, metz (“knife”), Latin mateola (“implement for digging in the soil”), Polish motyka (“hoe, mattock”), Russian моты́га (motýga, “hoe, mattock”), Lithuanian matikkas (“mattock”), Sanskrit मत्य (matyà, “harrow, roller, club”). More at mason.

mediumwave

Origin

From medium + wave.

gypsycraft

Origin

From gypsy + -craft.

misconstrue

Origin

From Middle English misconstruen, equivalent to mis- + construe.

prescriptive

Origin

From Latin praescriptivus (“relating to a legal exception”), from praescript- (“directed in writing”), from the verb praescribere.

positional

Origin

From position + -al.

heterosexism

Origin

From heterosex(ual) + -ism; modelled on sexism.

hogback

Origin

From hog + back.

prettify

Origin

From pretty + -fy.

quietus

Origin

Short for Medieval Latin quiētus est (literally “he is quiet”). First attested in the 1530s. Earlier attested as Late Middle English quietus est. Doublet of coy, quiet, quit, and quite.

palatine

Origin

From late Middle English palatyne, from Old French palatin, from Medieval Latin palātīnus (“relating to the palace”), from palātium (“palace”) + -īnus (“-ine”, adjectival suffix). Doublet of paladin.

momently

Origin

From Middle English momently, equivalent to moment + -ly.

radioscopy

Origin

From radio- + -scopy.