Etymology — The Origins of English Words

Borrowed from Latin lactātus, perfect passive participle of lactō (“to suckle, give suck, contain milk”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from lac (“milk”), cognate to Ancient Greek γάλα (gála, “milk”).

The adjective is borrowed from Scots dreich (“hard to bear, dreary, tedious, wearisome; interminable, long-winded; dull, uninteresting; slow, tardy; doleful, gloomy; baffling, difficult; difficult to reach, inaccessible”), from Middle English dregh, dri, drie (“burdensome; depressing, dismal; large, tall; lasting, long; long-suffering, patient; tedious; of blows: hard, heavy; of the face: unchanging, unmoved; of a person: strong, valorous”) [and other forms], from Old English *drēog, drēoh (“earnest; fit; sober”), and then probably partly: * shortened from Old English ġedrēog (“calm, quiet; sober; fit, suitable”, adjective), from ġe- (prefix forming adjectives of association or similarity) + Proto-Germanic *dreugaz (“enduring, lasting”) (from *dreuganą (“to serve, be a retainer”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰrewgʰ- (“to serve one’s tribe; loyal”)); and * influenced by Old Norse drjúgr (“sufficient; excessive, very; great; strong”), from Proto-Germanic *dreugaz (see above). The noun is probably partly derived: * from the adjective; and * borrowed from Scots dreich (“dreariness, gloom”) (rare), probably from Middle English dri, drie (“annoyance, trouble; grief; period of time”) [and

From pluto- + -crat, after plutocracy, from Ancient Greek πλοῦτος (ploûtos, “wealth, riches”) + κράτος (krátos, “power, might”).

Onomatopoeia; see cackle.

Borrowed from French doyen, from Late Latin decānus, from Latin decem. Compare the doublet dean.

The verb is derived from hood (“head covering attached to a larger garment such as a jacket or cloak”) + wink (“to close one’s eyes”). (< C16 'to blindfold'). The noun is derived from the verb.

From praise + -worthy.

From (the participle stem of) Late Latin remōnstrō, from Latin re- + mōnstrō.

From Middle English rigour, from Anglo-Norman, from Old French rigor, from Latin rigor (“stiffness, rigidity, rigor, cold, harshness”), from rigere (“to be rigid”). Compare French rigueur.

From Ancient Greek ἰδιωματικός (idiōmatikós, “related to an idiom”), from ἰδίωμα (idíōma, “idiom”).

From Latin glūtinōsus. By surface analysis, gluten + -ous.

From Middle English sequestren (verb) and sequestre (noun), from Old French sequestrer, from Late Latin sequestrō (“separate, give up for safekeeping”), from Latin sequester (“mediator, depositary”), probably originally meaning "follower", from Proto-Indo-European *sekʷ- (“follow”).

From Middle French specification, from Medieval Latin specificationem (accusative of specificatio).

From life + en- -en (intensifying verbal circumfix). See liven.

First recorded c.1752, from Spanish línea de demarcación and/or Portuguese linha de demarcação, the demarcation line laid down by the Pope on May 4, 1493, dividing the New World between Spain and Portugal on a line 100 leagues west of the Cape Verde Islands. Both derive from demarcar, from de- + marcar (“to mark”), from Italian marcare, from the same Germanic root as march.

From Middle English schepische, shepisse, shepisshe; equivalent to sheep + -ish.

From Latin constēllātus (“starred”), past participle of constēllō. Equivalent to Latin constēllō + -ate (verb-forming suffix).

From Latin diffīdentem, present participle of diffīdere (“to mistrust”). Doublet of defiant.

From Middle English tytle, titel, titele, from Anglo-Norman titil, titule and Medieval Latin titulus (“small stroke, diacritical mark, accent”), from Latin titulus (“title”). Doublet of tilde, titer/titre, title, titlo, and titulus.

From the town of Bad Homburg, Germany, where it was first worn.

Ultimately from Latin millesimum. The clippings come by way of the clipped words (e.g., millilitre, millimetre, milliradian). The metric units come about via clipping of translingual milli- (“SI prefix”)

From obsolete meaning of bug (“something terrifying”) + bear. See Middle English bugge, modern bogey.

From dead + -en. Compare Dutch doden (“to kill”), West Frisian deadzje (“to kill”).

From Middle English proscriben, from Latin prōscrībō (“to proclaim, forbid, banish”).