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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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venerate
Origin
First attested in 1623; borrowed from Latin venerātus, perfect active participle of veneror (“to worship, venerate”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix).
manumission
Origin
From Late Middle English manumissioun (“(uncountable) release by a feudal superior or slaveowner from servitude, freedom from servitude; (countable) an instance of this; document granting such freedom; (figurative) Jesus’s redemption of humankind”), from Anglo-Norman manumission and Middle French manumission, and from their etymon Latin manūmissiō (“emancipation of a slave, manumission”), from manūmiss- (the perfect passive participle stem of manūmittō (“to emancipate, free, release”)) + -iō (suffix forming abstract nouns from verbs). Manūmittō is derived from manū (the ablative singular of manus (“hand”); further etymology uncertain, possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)meh₂- (“to beckon, signal”)) + mittō (“to discharge, release; to send”) (probably ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *meyth₂- (“to release; to send; etc.”)).
conscript
Origin
From Latin cōnscriptus, perfect passive participle of cōnscrībō (“write together; enroll”).
salmagundi
Origin
From French salmigondis (“seasoned salt meats”), from Middle French salmigondin, probably related to Middle French salomene (“hodgepodge of meats or fish cooked in wine”), from Old French salemine.
edify
Origin
From Old French edifier (“to build, to edify”), from Latin aedificare (“build”).
rill
Origin
From or akin to West Frisian ril (“rill; a narrow channel”), Dutch ril (“rill; gully; trench; watercourse”), German Low German Rille, Rill (“a small channel; brook; furrow”), German Rille (“a groove; furrow”).
derivation
Origin
From Middle English derivacioun, borrowed from Middle French dérivation, from Latin dērīvātiō, dērīvātiōnem. Morphologically derive + -ation.
acceptably
Origin
From Middle English acceptably, equivalent to acceptable + -ly.
hyperopic
Origin
From hyperopia + -ic.
acquiescent
Origin
From Latin acquiescens (present participle of acquiēscō).
jamie
Origin
Clipping of James + -ie.
peeve
Origin
Back-formation from peevish.
planar
Origin
From Late Latin plānārius (“relating to a plane”), derived from Latin plānus (“flat”, “level”), equivalent to plane + -ar, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pleh₂- (“flat”).
saunter
Origin
Etymology unclear. Attested in the sense “to stroll” from the 1660s; noun sense “a stroll” attested 1828. Likely from earlier term meaning “to muse”, late 15th century, from late Middle English santren, of unknown origin. Competing theories exist: * From Anglo-Norman sauntrer (mid 14th century), from Middle French s'aventurer (“to take risks”); however, this is considered unlikely by the OED. Compare Middle English aunter (“adventure”). * Of Germanic origin, with proposed cognates including German schlendern, Dutch slenteren, Danish slentre, Swedish släntra, and Icelandic slentur, all meaning “to stroll”. * From Old French sentier (“path”). In this case, santren would reflect earlier *sa(u)nteren, *senteren /sa(u̯)nˈteːrən/, /sɛnˈteːrən/, with Late Middle English stress shift and concomitant vowel reduction. Various fanciful folk etymologies have also been given.
swashbuckler
Origin
From swash + buckler.
doctrinal
Origin
The noun form was from French doctrinal; the adjective form was perhaps from Late Latin doctrīnālis, from doctrīna.
rapt
Origin
Borrowed from Latin raptus, past participle of rapio (“to seize”).
shamble
Origin
From Middle English schambyll, shamyll, schamel, from Old English sċeamol, scamol (“bench, stool”), from Proto-West Germanic *skamul, *skamil, from Proto-Germanic *skamulaz, *skamilaz, from Latin scamellum, a variant of scabellum (“footstool”). Cognate with West Frisian skammel (“shamble, trestle, stool", also (in the plural) "legs, especially when showing defects or deformities”), Dutch schemel (“footstool, bench”), German Schemel (“stool”), Danish skammel (“stool”). Icelandic skemill (“footstool”). The verb is probably derived from the adjective, itself from attributive use of the noun. Compare West Frisian skammelje (“to walk with a swaying gait, especially on deformed legs”).
hysteric
Origin
From Latin hystericus, from Ancient Greek ὑστερικός (husterikós, “suffering in the uterus, hysterical”), from ὑστέρα (hustéra, “womb”).
smokefall
Origin
From smoke + fall.
amphitheatre
Origin
From Latin amphitheatrum, from Ancient Greek ἀμφιθέατρον (amphithéatron) from ἀμφί (amphí, “on both sides”) + θέᾱτρον (théātron, “theatre”).
increment
Origin
From Middle English encrement, increment, from Latin incrēmentum, from incrēscō (whence increase), from in- + crēscō (“grow”). Equivalent to increase + -ment.
transmissible
Origin
From Latin trānsmissus + -ible.
slacken
Origin
From Middle English slakenen, equivalent to slack + -en.