Etymology — The Origins of English Words

From Hindi पक्का (pakkā, “certain, sure”), Punjabi ਪੱਕਾ (pakkā, “mature, ripe; cooked; strong, substantial; genuine, sound, true, valid”) and Urdu پکا (pakkā, “mature, ripe; cooked; strong, substantial; genuine, sound, true, valid”), from Sanskrit पक्व (pakva, “baked, cooked, roasted”), from पचति (pacati, “to bake, cook, roast”).

The adjective is first attested in 1534, the verb circa 1631; borrowed from Latin incohātus (“begun, unfinished”), perfect passive participle of incohō (“to begin”), see -ate (etymology 1, 2 and 3). Cognate with Spanish incoar (“to initiate, commence, begin”).

From Latin dēsultōrius (“hasty, casual, superficial”), from dēsultor (“a circus rider who jumped from one galloping horse to another”), from dēsiliō (“jump down”), from dē (“down”) + saliō (“jump, leap”).

From Middle English on bete, unbeten, unibeten; equivalent to un- + beaten; compare Old English ungebeitne (“unhewn”).

Borrowed from Late Latin strictūra, from Latin strictus.

From Spanish Guadiana, from Old Spanish Aguadiana, derived from Arabic وَادِي (wādī, “river, valley”) + Latin Anās (ancient name of the river), related to anas (“duck”).

From Middle English indisposicioun, from Middle French indisposicion.

From Old French efficacieux (whence -acious), from Latin efficāx (“efficacious”) + -ous, from efficere (“to effect, to accomplish”); see effect.

Borrowed from Latin torus (“a round, swelling, elevation, protuberance”).

From Middle English astandan, from Old English āstandan (“to stand up, stand forth, rise up, rise, continue, endure”), from Proto-Germanic *uzstandaną (“to rise, stand up”), equivalent to a- + stand. Cognate with Middle Low German erstân (“rise, get up, secure”), German erstehen (“to purchase, secure”), Gothic 𐌿𐍃𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌰𐌽 (usstandan, “to rise, set out, be resurrected”). In some senses, prefix a- appears to represent and- (compare Middle English anstanden (“to resist”)), at-, on-.

From Middle English foman (“an enemy, devil, demon”), from Old English fāhman (“enemy”), equivalent to foe + man.

From Middle English baleful, balful, baluful, from Old English bealuful, which was equivalent to bealu + -ful. By surface analysis, bale (“evil, woe”) + -ful. See bale for further etymology.

From Old French *azimut (modern French azimut), from Arabic اَلسُّمُوت pl (as-sumūt, “the directions”).

First attested in 1620; either borrowed from Middle French domestiquer (Modern French domestiquer) or directly from Medieval Latin domesticātus, perfect passive participle of domesticō (“to domesticate”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix). By surface analysis, domestic + -ate.

From free + booty + -er. Calque of Dutch vrijbuiter (literally “free booty-er”), from vrij (“free”) + buit (“booty”) + -er (occupational suffix). Doublet of filibuster.

From Middle English assailen, from Old French assaillir, assalir, from Late Latin assalīre, from Latin ad (“at, towards”) + salīre (“jump”). See also assault.

From Latin prōpōnēns, present participle of prōpōnō (“to put forward; propose”).

From back + slash, because it is a slash “leaning back” against the direction of writing (in writing lines from left to right), in contrast to the more common (forward) slash / (“solidus, oblique, diagonal”). The actual direction of (hand-)writing these marks can be reversed, when writing from left to right, top to baseline: the backslash forwards, the (forward) slash backwards. The naming can be explained as an anthropomorphism, assuming a bar (|) standing on the baseline, facing in the direction of writing, toppling backwards or forwards, respectively. The (new) Unicode name of \ is REVERSE SOLIDUS.

From Middle English slaberen, from Middle Dutch slabberen (“to lap, sup, slaver, slabber”), from Old Dutch *slabron, from Proto-West Germanic *slabrōn, from Proto-Germanic *slabrōną (“to scrawl, make a mess”), ultimately imitative. Cognate with Low German slabbern (“to slabber”), German schlabbern (“to slabber”), Icelandic slafra (“to slaver”). More at slaver.

Synthetic form of the phrase play down. By surface analysis, down- + play.

First attested in the early 15th Century. From Middle French intercession, from Old French intercession, from Latin intercessiō, from intercēdō, from inter- (“between”) + cēdō (“to go”) (English cede), literally “go-between”.

From centuple + -et, q.v.

From Epicurus, the name of an Ancient Greek philosopher who advocated such a lifestyle.

From hex + -craft.