Etymology — The Origins of English Words

From Medieval Latin diaphanus, from Ancient Greek διαφανής (diaphanḗs), from δια- (dia-, “through”) + φαίνω (phaínō, “to shine, appear”).

From Middle English gaynesse, equivalent to gay + -ness.

1640–50, from Early Modern French foible (“feeble”) (contemporary French faible). Doublet of feeble.

From Anglo-Norman descaunt, from Medieval Latin discantus. Doublet of discant.

Learned borrowing from Middle French cérémonieux (modern French cérémonieux) or directly from its etymon Latin caerimōniōsus + English -ous (suffix forming adjectives from nouns, denoting the presence of a quality in any degree (typically an abundance)). Caerimōniōsus is derived from Latin caerimōnia (“awe, reverence, veneration; sacredness, sanctity; religious ceremony, ritual”) (possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kʷer- (“to build, make; to do”)) + -ōsus (suffix meaning ‘full of, overly’ forming adjectives from nouns). By surface analysis, ceremony + -ous.

From Middle English coveitous, from Anglo-Norman *cuveitus, from Medieval Latin as if *cupiditosus, from Latin cupiditas (“desire”); see covet.

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek εὐδαιμονίᾱ (eudaimoníā, literally “good spirits”). By surface analysis, eu- + demon + -ia.

From be- + stead (“to support, help”).

From Middle French énumeration (French énumération). By surface analysis, enumerate + -ion.

Borrowed from Latin claudicātiō (“limping”, noun), from claudicō (“to limp, halt, be lame”) + -ātiō (“-ation”, nominal suffix).

From de- + thaw, by confusion with defrost or perhaps with words with null de- like defraud, decomplex.

From Old French eban (modern ébène), from Latin ebenus, from Ancient Greek ἔβενος (ébenos, “ebony tree”).

From Latin Dionysius, from Ancient Greek Διονύσιος (Dionúsios).

From druid + -craft.

From chrono- + -meter, possibly after the model of earlier French chronomètre (“metronome”), ultimately from Ancient Greek χρόνος (khrónos, “time”) + μέτρον (métron, “meter, measuring device”).

Borrowed from French barrette, from barre (“a bar”) + -ette, literally a small bar.

From convivial + -ity.

From Middle English botere; equivalent to boat + -er. The use of the term for a straw hat stems from the fact that straw hats were the preferred head covering during sunny boat trips on canals and rivers.

From Middle English brayn panne, from Old English bræġnpanne, corresponding to brain + pan.

Borrowed from Middle French frugalité. By surface analysis, frugal + -ity.

From French, from Italian gigantesco, ultimately from Ancient Greek γίγᾱς (gígās, “giant”). Compare giga-, giant.

Calque of German Seiendheit, equivalent to English being + -ness. Occasionally also used to translate German Sein (“being”).

From Middle French escalope.

From French brunet. Compare also Middle English brunet, burnet (“brown”), from Old French brunet, which is the same word.