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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.

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1650s, from Latin connūbiālis, from connūbium (“marriage, wedlock”) (variants of cōnūbiālis (“pertaining to wedlock”), from cōnūbium (“marriage, wedlock”)) from com- (“together”) (English com-) + nūbō (“marry, to take as husband”) (from which nubile) from Proto-Indo-European *snewbʰ- (“to marry, to wed”).

From Middle English copful, copfull, cupfulle, cuppefulle, equivalent to cup + -ful. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Kopful (“cupful”), West Frisian kopfol (“cupful”).

From grab + -le.

From Middle English fortaste, equivalent to fore- + taste (noun).

From corn + hole. (anus): From the old-fashioned practice of using dried corncobs instead of toilet paper in outdoor privies.

From Old French dejeter, from Latin dēiectus, past participle of dēicere (“to throw down”), from dē- (“from, down from”) + iacere (“to throw”).

From dipso- + -maniac.

From conic + -al.

Old French chastiement, from the verb chastier, from Latin castīgō

First attested in 1623; borrowed from Latin corōnātus (“crowned”), perfect passive participle of corōnō (“to crown”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from corōna (“crown”) + -ō.

From chirograph + -y under influence from geography &c., from French chirographe, from Latin chirographus and chirographum, from Ancient Greek χειρόγραφος (kheirógraphos) and χειρόγραφον (kheirógraphon), from χειρο- (kheiro-, “hand-”) + γραφος (graphos, “writing, written thing”). Equivalent to chiro- (“hand”) + -graphy (“writing”) and handwriting.

From French débauché.

A humorous or dialectical corruption of the word fuck.

From Middle English ennoblen, from Old French ennoblir. Equivalent to en- + noble.

From Middle English distillacioun, from Anglo-Norman distillacioun, from Latin distīllātiōnem, accusative of distīllātiō.

From Latin dēcoquō (“to boil down”), from dē- + coquō (“to cook”).

From eye + glass.

From fit (“convulsion, seizure; sudden burst of activity”) + -ful (suffix forming adjectives from nouns, with the sense of being full of, tending to, or thoroughly possessing the quality expressed by the noun).

From Middle English commodious (“convenient, advantageous”), from Anglo-Norman commodious, Old French commodieux, directly from Medieval Latin commodiosus (“convenient, useful”), irregularly from Latin commodus (“suitable, fit, convenient”), from com- + modus (“measure, manner”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *med- (“to measure”). Analyzable as commode (“to provide with an appropriate or necessary thing; to suit”) + -ious.

From Middle English cobylstone, cobyllstone, kobilstane, kobill-stane, equivalent to cobble + stone. Compare Old Norse köppusteinn (“boulder”), Danish kampesten (“boulder”).

Inherited from Middle English baten (“to abate”), an apheretic form of abaten, from Old French abatre (“to knock down”).

Deverbal from carry out.

Deverbal from clamp down.

From disbelieve + -er or dis- + believer.