Etymology — The Origins of English Words

dispraise

Origin

From Old French despreisier. Doublet of disprize.

luxuriant

Origin

Borrowed from Latin lūxuriāns, present participle of lūxuriō, itself from lūxuria (“luxury, excess”). Equivalent to luxury + -ant.

proclivity

Origin

From Latin prōclīvitās, from prōclīvis (“prone to”).

refulgent

Origin

From Latin refulgentem, accusative singular of refulgēns, present active participle of refulgeō, from re- (“back”) + fulgeō (“shine”). By surface analysis, re- + Latin fulg(ere) + -ent.

diurnal

Origin

From Latin diurnālis, from diēs (“day”). Doublet of journal.

proximate

Origin

From Late Latin proximatus, past participle of proximare (“to draw near, approach”), from Latin proximus (“nearest”), superlative of prope (“near”).

niggard

Origin

From Middle English nigard, nygard (“miser”), from nig (“niggardly person”), possibly of Scandinavian origin; compare Old Icelandic hnøggr (“miserly, stingy”), Old Norse *hniggw, with descendants Swedish njugg (“stingy”), dialectal Swedish niggla (“be stingy”), dialectal Norwegian nigla. Ultimately from Proto-Germanic *hnauwjaz, source of Old English hneaw (“stingy”), replaced by Middle English nig. Possibly cognate to niggle (“miser”). Compare German Knicker (“niggard”), knickerig (“niggardly”). Unrelated to the word nigger, but see the usage notes.

sunshade

Origin

From Middle English *sunschade, from Old English sunsċeadu, sunnsċeadu (“a veil, a sun-shade, a covering to keep off the sun”), equivalent to sun + shade.

patrimony

Origin

From earlier patrimoyne, from patremoyne, from Middle French patrimoine/patremoine, semilearned borrowing from Latin patrimōnium, from pater (“father”) + -mōnium (“state, condition”). First attested in 1513. By surface analysis, patri- + -mony. Compare matrimony. Displaced native Old English fæderġestrēon.

hydro

Origin

From the prefix hydro-, from Ancient Greek ὕδωρ (húdōr, “water”). By surface analysis, hydr- (“water”) + -o-. The Canadian "electricity" sense is owing to hydroelectricity being the prevalent source of electricity in much of Canada and many electric companies having the word Hydro in their names.

amity

Origin

From Middle English amite, from Old French amisté, amitie, amistiet, from Vulgar Latin *amīcitātem, derived from Latin amīcus (“friend”), from amō (“love”).

straggle

Origin

From Middle English straglen, of uncertain origin, possibly from (or cognate to) dialectal Norwegian stragla (“to walk laboriously”).

decad

Origin

Doublet of decade and dekad. By surface analysis, dec- + -ad.

pigswill

Origin

From pig + swill.

stylus

Origin

Borrowed from Latin stylus (“a stake or pale”). Probably not directly related to Ancient Greek στῦλος (stûlos, “a pillar”). Doublet of style.

evince

Origin

From Middle French évincer, from Latin ēvincō (“conquer entirely, prevail over; prove exhaustively”), from ē- (short form of ex- (intensive prefix)) + vincō (“conquer”). Doublet of evict.

brandish

Origin

From Middle English braundischen, from Old French brandiss-, stem of brandir (“to flourish a sword”), from Frankish *brandijan, from Frankish *brand (“firebrand; sword”), from Proto-Germanic *brandaz (“fire; flame; sword”), whence Old English brand (“firebrand; torch”); equivalent to brand + -ish. More at brand.

tightwad

Origin

From tight + wad.

pastiche

Origin

Via French pastiche, from Italian pasticcio (“pie, something blended”), from Vulgar Latin *pastīcius, from Late Latin pasta (“dough, pastry cake, paste”), from Ancient Greek παστά (pastá, “barley porridge”), from παστός (pastós, “sprinkled with salt”). Doublet of pasticcio.

enervate

Origin

From Latin ēnervātus, past participle of ēnervō (“to weaken”).

raiment

Origin

Aphetized from Middle English arayment, borrowed from Anglo-Norman arraiement and Old French areement, from areer (“to array”). See array.

oldster

Origin

From old + -ster, modelled after youngster. Attested from early 19th c.

prophylactic

Origin

From Latin prophylacticus, from Ancient Greek προφυλακτικός (prophulaktikós, “prophylactic”).

terse

Origin

From Latin tersus (“clean, cleansed, rubbed or wiped off; neat, spruce; terse”), perfect passive participle of Latin tergeō, tergō (“to clean, cleanse, rub, wipe, wipe off”).