Etymology — The Origins of English Words

From soft + hearted.

From oppose + -er.

From Medieval Latin sectarius + -an. Its corresponding etymology per the first sense is sect + -arian.

The noun is probably derived partly: * from Middle English throu, throwe (“(chiefly in the plural) uterine contraction during the birth of a child; pain experienced while giving birth; suffering; a pain; emotional distress, anxiety”) [and other forms], perhaps from: ** Old English þrawu (rare), a variant of þrēa (“affliction, torment; disaster; oppression; a rebuke; severity; threat”), from Proto-West Germanic *þrau, from Proto-Germanic *þrawō (“longing; suffering”), from Proto-Indo-European *trewh₁-; and ** Old English þrōwian (“to endure, suffer”), from Proto-Germanic *þrōwijaną, probably from *þrawō (see above); and ** Old Norse þrá (“longing, yearning”), from Proto-Germanic *þrawō (see above); and * from Middle English throuen (“to endure distress, suffer; to be ill, to have a fever; to suffer (death, hardship, illness, punishment, etc.); to endure (sadness, hard work, etc.)”) [and other forms], from Old English þrōwian (see above). The current spelling of the word is a 16th-century variant of Middle English throu, throwe, perhaps to avoid confusion with throw (“act of turning or twisting; fit of bad temper or peevishness; look of anger, bad temper, irritation, etc., a grimace”

From Latin senescens, present participle of senescere (“to grow old”), from senere (“to be old”), from senex (“old”).

Possible alteration of ruffle, from Middle English ruffelen, akin to Low German ruffelen (“to crumple”).

Metathesis of earlier dialectal cruddle, crudle, equivalent to curd + -le (frequentative suffix).

From Middle English lilten, lulten.

From thingum + -y. Compare thingamabob and thingamajig.

un- + remitting, from remit (in now rare sense of “diminish, abate”), from Middle English remitten, from Latin remittere (“to send, send back”). Compare Old French remettre, remetre, remitter. Not from nonexistent unremit. First attested in 1728.

Borrowed from Latin pullulātus, perfect passive participle of pullulō (“sprout forth”), from pullulus (“a young animal, a sprout”), diminutive of pullus.

From Old French inundacion (“flood”) (French inondation), from Latin inundatio (“flood”), form of inundō (“to flood, overflow”) (English inundate). By surface analysis, inundat(e) + -ion.

An alteration of Scots sculduddery, sculdudrie (“adultery, unchaste behaviour; obscenity, lewdness”), of long-uncertain origin (probably a euphemism). Relation to skull is speculative at best and likely folk etymology. The American spelling skullduggery is in keeping with terms such as skillful and willful.

From French reconnoître (obsolete spelling of reconnaître), from Latin recognoscere (“to recognise”). There is also an obsolete 19th-century British English spelling reconnaitre, influenced by the modern French form.

The noun is derived from Middle English socour, interpreted as the singular form of socours (“help; encouragement; remedy; protection; helper, protector”), which is from Anglo-Norman socurs, sucurs and Old French secors, secours (modern French secours), from Medieval Latin succursus (participle), from Latin succurrēre (“to run to the help of”), from Latin sub- (“from below”) + Latin currere (“run”). The verb is derived from Middle English socouren (“to help”), from Anglo-Norman socure (compare modern French secourir), also from Latin succurrēre.

From transient + -ence.

From Middle English flatnesse, equivalent to flat + -ness.

From Middle English negacioun, from Old French negacion, from Latin negātiō (“a denial; negative word”). Morphologically negate + -ion.

From intric(ate) + -acy.

From crapulent + -ence, from Latin crapula (“excessive drinking, intoxication”).

From Scots mirken (“to grow dark, darken, become overcast”), from Old Norse myrkna (“dark, gloomy”) + -ing (noun-forming suffix), equivalent to mirken + -ing.

Corruption of flossy in the sense of showy.

First attested in 1530, of unknown origin but perhaps from Middle English scut (“rabbit, rabbit's tail”) or from Middle Dutch schudden (“to shake”), ultimately of Scandinavian origin.

A shortening of the Irish village Ballyhooly, known for its rowdiness.