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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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utilization
Origin
From French utilisation or from utilize + -ation.
appropriator
Origin
From appropriate + -or.
anthesis
Origin
Ancient Greek ἄνθησις (ánthēsis, “flowering”), from ἀνθέω (anthéō), from ἄνθος (ánthos).
approbation
Origin
From late Middle English approbacioun, from Old French approbacion (French approbation), from Latin approbatio, from approbare (“to assent to as good, approve, also show to be good, confirm”), from ad (“to”) + probare (“approve, commend”), from probus (“good”). By surface analysis, approbate + -ion.
anele
Origin
From Middle English anelen, anelien, from Middle English an- (“on”) + Middle English elen (“to anoint”), from Old English ēle (“oil”). Compare English anoil.
artifice
Origin
From Middle French artifice, from Latin artificium.
ventilation
Origin
Borrowed from Middle French ventilation, from Old French ventilacion, from Late Latin ventilatio, from Latin ventilo. Morphologically ventilate + -ion.
welkin
Origin
Inherited from Middle English welkne (“weather; heavens; (earlier) cloud”), from Old English wolcnu (“sky, heavens”), plural form of wolcn (“cloud”), from Proto-West Germanic *wolkn (“cloud”), from Proto-Germanic *wulkną (“cloud”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *wĺ̥ɡ-no-m, from *welg- (“damp; wet”). Cognate with Dutch wolk (“cloud”), German Wolke (“cloud”).
alphonso
Origin
Anglicized form of Italian or Spanish Alfonso.
affright
Origin
From Middle English afrighten, from Old English āfyrhtan, equivalent to a- + fright.
younker
Origin
Borrowed from Middle Dutch joncker (Dutch jonker, jonkheer), a compound equivalent to jong (“young”) + here (“lord”). Compare junker.
abjuration
Origin
First attested around 1439. From Middle English abjuracioun, from Latin abiūrātiō (“forswearing, abjuration”), from ab (“from, away from”) + iūrō (“swear or take an oath”), from iūs (“law, right, duty”). Compare French abjuration.
abnegation
Origin
First attested before 1398. From Middle English abnegacioun, borrowed from Latin abnegātiō, from abnegō (“refuse, deny”), from ab (“off”) + negō (“deny; refuse, say no”). Compare French abnégation.
ampoule
Origin
Borrowed from French ampoule. Etymologically equivalent to amphora + -ule/-le. Doublet of ampulla.
abstruse
Origin
PIE word *h₂epó Learned borrowing from Latin abstrūsus (“concealed, hidden; having been concealed”), an adjective use of the perfect passive participle of abstrūdō (“to conceal, hide; to push or thrust away”), from abs- (from ab- (prefix meaning ‘away; from; away from’)) + trūdō (“to push, shove; to thrust”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *trewd- (“to push; to thrust”)). Cognates * Catalan abstrús * German abstrus (“abstruse”) * Italian astruso (“abstruse”) * Middle French abstruse (modern French abstrus, abstruse (“(derogatory, literary) abstruse”) * Portuguese abstruso (“abstruse”) * Spanish abstruso (“abstruse”)
anneal
Origin
From Middle English anelen, onelen, from Old English onǣlan (“to burn, ignite, set fire to, consume, heat, enlighten, incite, inflame, inspire, kindle”), from Proto-Germanic *ana (“on”) + Proto-Germanic *ailijaną (“to burn”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eydʰ- (“to burn”). The double-N spelling may have arisen by analogy with Latinate verbs like announce, annex, and annul. The word is related to Old English onāl (“that which is burnt, burning; incense”), Old English āl (“fire, burning”), Icelandic eldur (“fire”), Swedish eld (“fire, flame”), Danish ild (“fire”).
abiotic
Origin
First attested in 1874. From a- + biotic, the first element from Ancient Greek ἀ- (a-) and the second from Ancient Greek βιωτικός (biōtikós, “of life”), from βίος (bíos, “life”) + -ῐκός (-ĭkós).
admonition
Origin
From Middle English amonicioun, from Old French amonicion, from Latin admonitio, stem of admonere. The -d- was restored in English in the 17th century.
antonius
Origin
From Latin Antōnius.
winnow
Origin
From Middle English wyndwen, from Old English windwian (“to winnow, fan, ventilate”), from Proto-West Germanic *windwōn, from Proto-Germanic *windwōną, *winþijaną (“to throw about, winnow”), from Proto-Indo-European *wē- (“to winnow, thresh”). Cognate with West Frisian wynje (“to winnow”), dialectal Dutch winden, winnen (“to winnow”), Middle High German winden (“to winnow”), Icelandic vinsa (“to pick out, weed”), Latin vannus (“a winnowing basket”). See fan, van.
anesthetist
Origin
From anesthet(ize) + -ist.
vitalise
Origin
From vital + -ise.
virulence
Origin
From Middle French virulence, from Late Latin virulentia.
waft
Origin
From Middle English waften, of uncertain origin. Possibly from unattested Old English *wafettan, from wafian (“to wave”) + -ettan, or perhaps borrowed from Middle Dutch wachten (“to guard, provide for”). See also German wabern (“to waft”), Faroese veiftra (“to wave”) and Icelandic váfa (“to fluctuate, waver, doubt”).