English dictionary, thesaurus, translations & etymology

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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From Latin congius, from Ancient Greek κογχίον (konkhíon), from κόγχη (kónkhē) and κόγχος (kónkhos, “mussel shell”) + -ίον (-íon, “-y: forming diminutives”).

From Middle English Goldwyn, Goldwine, from Old English Goldwine (given name), from gold (“gold”) + wine (“friend”).

From Middle English, from Late Latin corōllārium (“money paid for a garland; gift, gratuity, corollary; consequence, deduction”), from corōlla (“small garland”), diminutive of corōna (“crown”).

Borrowed from Latin cognātus (“related by blood”), from co- + gnātus (“born”). Compare Portuguese cognato and Spanish cognado. Doublet of connate and cognatus.

Borrowed from Ukrainian Богда́н (Bohdán).

Modification of blooming.

From diversion + -ist; first attested c. 1937.

From ear + phone.

First attested in 1623; borrowed from Latin cōnfābulātus, perfect active participle of cōnfābulor, see -ate (verb-forming suffix).

From Middle English dower, dowere, from Old French doeire, from Medieval Latin dōtārium, from Latin dōs. Doublet of dowry.

From Latin exorabilis.

From Middle English bifallinge, equivalent to befall + -ing. Cognate with Dutch bevalling (“delivery, labour”), Swedish befallning (“command, behest, charge”).

From Spanish flotilla, diminutive of flota (“fleet”), from French flotte.

* Probable origins are Scandinavian, cf. Danish kue, to subdue.

Borrowed from Latin factītius (“artificial”), alternative form of factīcius, from faciō (“to make, do”). Doublet of fetish.

From commend + -atory.

Unknown. Originally used of dogs. Perhaps from bits + -er, in reference to the dog's composition from multiple different "bits". The spelling with tz may be influenced from other names of breeds (e.g. spitz, shih tzu, etc.) or in imitation of German names. Compare also German Betze (“bitch, female dog”).

From Middle English glazier, glasier, glasyer, glasiere, variants (due to influence from words in -yer) of Middle English glaser, equivalent to glass + -er.

Clipping of fountain, on the pattern of the pair mount, mountain.

From cheer + -ly.

Inherited from Middle English contrariaunt, from Old French contrariant, from Late Latin contrāriāns, present participle of contrāriō.

Borrowed from French auteur (“author”). Popularised by François Truffaut in the 1954 essay “Une certaine tendance du cinéma français” (“A certain tendency in French cinema”) in the influential film journal Cahiers du Cinéma as the phrase “la politique des Auteurs”. Doublet of author.

A variant of chimera under influence from Latin Chimaera.

From celibate + -ist.