English dictionary, thesaurus, translations & etymology

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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From topo- + -onymy.

From Ancient Greek Θαλία (Thalía) or Θάλεια (Tháleia); from Ancient Greek θάλλω (thállō, “flourish, to be verdant”).

Clipping of technique + -ers.

From timber + -ed.

From Thomas + -son. Literally, “son of Thomas”.

Borrowed from the genus name, translingual Toona, which is in turn from Min Nan 椿 (thun).

Borrowed from French talus.

From Middle English tongeles, tunglees, equivalent to tongue + -less. Cognate with Old Norse tungulauss (“tongueless”).

From think + -o, on the model of typo (“typographical error”).

From Middle English swynken, from Old English swincan (“to labour, work”), from Proto-Germanic *swinkaną (“to swing, bend”). Cognate with Old Norse svinka (“to work”).

Postal Romanization of 臺北／台北 (Táiběi).

From swoon + -some.

From terror + -some.

From tool + -ed.

From tooth + -ful.

From tendril + -ous.

From thistle + -y.

From Middle English throstle, throstel, from Old English þrostle, from Proto-West Germanic *þrostlā, possibly altered from or a diminutive of *þurstaz, related to *þrastuz, from Proto-Indo-European *trosdos.

From Middle English threfold, from Old English þrīfeald. Equivalent to three + -fold.

From thrill + -s- + -ville, evoking a fictional town.

From tempting + -ness.

From Ancient Greek τεράτικος (terátikos, “monstrous”), from τέρας (téras, “monster”).

From toot + -er.

From Old Turkic 𐱃𐱃𐰺 (t¹t¹r¹). More at Tatars.