English dictionary, thesaurus, translations & etymology
FreeDict.com

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.

Browse etymology by letter

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Recently added

oscillation
Origin
From French oscillation, from Latin oscillatio, from Latin oscillo. By surface analysis, oscillate + -ion.
quintessence
Origin
PIE word *pénkʷe From Middle English, borrowed from Middle French, from Medieval Latin quinta essentia (“fifth essence, aether”), equivalent to quint- + essence. "Essence" in this context is a synonym for "element". In pre-atomic/Aristotelian theory, there are four known elements or essences — Earth, Air, Fire and Water — and a putative fifth element (aether), which is considered to be of exceptional superior quality to the other four basic elements.
immunisation
Origin
From French immunisation. Equivalent to immunise + -ation or immune + -isation.
ichor
Origin
Sense 1 (“liquid said to flow in place of blood in the veins of the gods”) is borrowed from Medieval Latin ichor, from Ancient Greek ῑ̓χώρ (īkhṓr, “fluid running through the veins of gods, ichor; watery part of blood, lymph, serum; watery part of milk, whey; gravy; pus; naphtha”); further etymology unknown, probably from Pre-Greek. Sense 2.4 (“fetid, watery discharge from a sore”) is from Middle English icor, icore [and other forms], from Medieval Latin ichor; see further above.
imperium
Origin
Borrowed from Latin imperium (“power, command”), from imperō (“command, order”), from im- (form of in) + parō (“prepare, arrange; intend”). Doublet of empery and empire.
nubile
Origin
From French nubile, from Latin nūbilis (“marriageable”), from nūbō (“marry, to take as husband”), from Proto-Indo-European *snewbʰ- (“to marry, to wed”). Possibly cognate with Ancient Greek νύμφη (númphē, “bride, young wife, nymph”) (English nymph), but this is disputed.
mofo
Origin
Syllabic abbreviation of motherfucker or motherfucking.
promulgate
Origin
Inherited from Middle English promulgaten, from Latin prōmulgātus, perfect passive participle of prōmulgō (“to make known, publish”), either from provulgō (“to make known, publish”), from pro (“forth”) + vulgō (“to publish”), or from mulgeō (“to bring forth”, literally “to milk”); see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix). Doublet of promulge.
grumbler
Origin
From grumble + -er.
liken
Origin
From Middle English liknen (“to be comparable; to compare (often disparagingly); to make (someone) equal to another person; to regard (something) as equal to another thing; to regard (something) as likely; to resemble; to take (something) as a substitute; to apply, be adapted or suitable; to tend (to sin)”) [and other forms], from liken (“to be comparable; to compare; to be appropriate; to form”), from lik (“alike, analogous, similar; appropriate, suitable; equal; homogeneous; identical, the same; indicative; likely (to be or do something), probable; possible; simultaneous; more or most like (?)”) + -en (suffix forming infinitives of verbs). Lik is derived from Old English ġelīċ (“like, similar”), from Proto-Germanic *galīkaz (“like, similar; equal”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *leyg- (“like, similar; even, level”). The English word is analysable as like (adjective) + -en (suffix forming verbs with the sense ‘to make [adjective]’).
katakana
Origin
From Japanese 片(かた)仮(か)名(な) (katakana).
prorogue
Origin
From Old French proroger, proroguer, from Latin prōrogō (“prolong, defer”).
gunroom
Origin
From gun + room.
masturbator
Origin
From masturbate + -or.
reverent
Origin
From Middle English reverent, from Middle French reverent (from Old French reverent) and its etymon Latin reverēns. By surface analysis, revere + -ent.
legislator
Origin
From Latin lēgislātor.
lethe
Origin
From Latin Lēthē, from Ancient Greek Λήθη (Lḗthē).
guesstimate
Origin
Blend of guess + estimate.
inly
Origin
From Middle English inly, from Old English inlīc (“inner, inward”), equivalent to in + -ly.
hindustani
Origin
Borrowed from Hindustani ہِنْدُوسْتانی (hindūstānī) / हिंदुस्तानी (hindustānī), from Classical Persian هِنْدُوسْتَانِی (hindūstānī), from هِنْدُو (hindū, “Hindu, Indian”) + ـسْتَان (-stān, “land”) + adjective suffix ـِی (-ī). Equivalent to Hindustan + -i.
nephrite
Origin
From Latin lapis nephriticus, via Ancient Greek λίθος (líthos) νεφριτικός (nephritikós), meaning kidney stone, because jade was believed to have cured kidney stones.
hiragana
Origin
From Japanese 平(ひら)仮(が)名(な) (hiragana).
osculate
Origin
Borrowed from Latin ōsculātus, perfect active participle of ōsculor (“to kiss”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from ōsculum (“a kiss”) + -or (verbal suffix), from ōs (“mouth”) + -culum (diminutive suffix). See also oscillate.
publicise
Origin
From public + -ise.