Etymology — The Origins of English Words

From Middle English henne coupe; equivalent to hen + coop.

From marge + -ed.

From Latin melior (“better”) and English -ist. Reportedly coined by British author George Eliot in her letters, published in 1877.

In colloquial usage in English since 1612, from a corruption of Hindustani नवाब (navāb) / نواب (navāb, “nawab”), perhaps via Portuguese nababo, from Classical Persian نَوَّاب (nawwāb), from Arabic نُوَّاب (nuwwāb), the honorific plural of نَائِب (nāʔib, “deputy”).

From Ancient Greek πεντάς (pentás), from πέντε (pénte, “five”) + -άς (-ás, “-ad”). By surface analysis, pent- + -ad.

From remanent (“that which remains”) + -ence.

From Middle English quaterniǒun, from Late Latin quaterniō, from quaternī (“four each”) + -iō, from quater (“four times”). Doublet of kern. The mathematics sense was coined by Irish mathematician and astronomer William Rowan Hamilton in 1843.

From Anglo-Norman judicature, Middle French judicature, and their source, post-classical Latin iudicatura (12th century), from the participle stem of classical Latin iūdicāre (“to judge”).

From French quintette, from Italian quintetto, diminutive of quinto (“fifth”), itself from Latin quintus, related to quīnque (“five”).

From Late Middle English paroxism, paroxisme (“period of worsening of a disease, attack; sudden recurrent fever”), from Middle French paroxisme, paroxysme, and Old French peroxime (“period of worsening of a disease; bout of fever or illness”) (modern French paroxysme), and from their etymon Late Latin paroxismus, paroxysmus (“a fit; onset of a disease; violent impulse or sadness”), from Ancient Greek πᾰροξῠσμός (păroxŭsmós, “exasperation, irritation; severe fit of a disease”), from πᾰροξῡ́νω (păroxū́nō, “to irritate, provoke”) (from παρα- (para-, prefix meaning ‘parallel to but separate from or going beyond, beside’) + ὀξῡ́νω (oxū́nō, “to provoke; to sharpen”) (from ὀξῠ́ς (oxŭ́s, “sharp”), probably ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ- (“sharp”))) + -μός (-mós, suffix forming abstract nouns). By surface analysis, para- + oxy- + -ism.

PIE word *upó From pre- + Latin sūmptus + -ive, from Late Middle English presumptif, presumptijf (“based on presumption”), from Anglo-Norman presumptif and Middle French presumptif, présomptif (“based on presumption; of an heir or heiress: presumed to be entitled to inherit unless someone with a superior entitlement is born; presumptuous”) (modern French présomptif), and directly from their etymon Late Latin praesumptivus (“based on presumption; bold; insolent”), from Latin praesūmptus (“presumed”) + -īvus (suffix forming adjectives). Praesūmptus is the perfect passive participle of praesūmō (“to presume”), from prae- (prefix meaning ‘before; in front’) + sūmō (“to seize, take; to accept, presuppose; to undertake”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁em- (“to distribute; to take”)).

From the Latin Isrāēlīta (“Israelite”), from the Ancient Greek Ἰσρᾱηλῑ́της (Isrāēlī́tēs, “Israelite”), from Ἰσρᾱήλ (Isrāḗl, “Israel”), from the Hebrew יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yiśrāʼēl, “Israel”); by surface analysis, Israel + -ite.

From Middle English lawȝar, lawher(e); equivalent to laugh + -er.

From Middle English lawemaker, lawe maker, equivalent to law + maker.

From Middle English homlynesse, homelynesse, hamelynes, equivalent to homely + -ness.

From French oculiste (“oculist”), from Latin oculus (“eye”).

From Japanese ロリ (rori), itself from English lolita or a clipping of lolicon.

From pursue + -er.

Borrowed from Italian intermezzo. Doublet of intermede and intermedium

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek Ἑλληνικός (Hellēnikós, “of or pertaining to Greece or Greeks”), from Ancient Greek Ἑλλάς (Hellás, “Greece”). By surface analysis, Hellen + -ic. First attested in c. 1640.

From necro- + -logy.

From Middle English incorporacioun, from Old French incorporacion, from Late Latin incorporatio. By surface analysis, incorporate + -ion.

From post-Classical Latin; either from rectilīneāris or from rectilīneus (whence rectiline) + -ar, in both cases ultimately deriving from rectus (“straight”) + līnea (“line”).

From knuckle + ball.