Etymology — The Origins of English Words

ancillary

Latin

From Latin ancillaris, from ancilla 'maidservant'.

analytics

Greek

From Greek analutika, relating to analusis 'a loosening up, resolution into parts'.

analgesia

Greek

From Greek analgēsia 'painlessness', from an- 'without' and algos 'pain'.

anaerobic

Greek

From Greek an- 'without', aēr 'air' and bios 'life'.

amplitude

Latin

From Latin amplitudo, from amplus 'large'.

amorphous

Greek

From Greek a- 'without' and morphē 'form'.

amore

Italian

Italian for 'love', from Latin amor.

ameliorate

Latin

From Latin melior 'better', via French améliorer.

ambience

French

From French ambiance, from ambiant 'surrounding', ultimately from Latin ambire 'to go around'.

alpha male

Greek

From alpha, the first letter of the Greek alphabet, used in animal behaviour studies to label the top-ranking individual in a group.

al fresco

Italian

From Italian al fresco, literally 'in the fresh (air)'.

agape

English and Greek

The adjective is from a- 'in a state of' plus gape. The noun is from Greek agapē, meaning love.

AFK

English

An initialism of away from keyboard.

anomie

Greek

From Greek "anomia," lawlessness, from "a-" (without) plus "nomos" (law). It entered English as a sociological term through French.

anhedonia

Greek

From Greek "an-" (without) plus "hēdonē" (pleasure) — the same root as hedonism.

ambulatory

Latin

From Latin "ambulare," to walk.

amble

Latin

From Old French "ambler," from Latin "ambulare" (to walk) — the same root as ambulance and perambulator.

ambivert

Latin

From Latin "ambi-" (both) plus "vertere" (to turn), formed on the pattern of introvert and extrovert.

alma mater

Latin

From Latin, literally "nourishing mother" — originally a title for goddesses, later applied to the institution that educated you.

allusion

Latin

From Latin "alludere," to play with or hint at, from "ad-" (to) plus "ludere" (to play).

alliteration

Latin

From Latin "ad-" (to) plus "littera" (letter) — letters set alongside one another.

agoraphobia

Greek

From Greek "agora," the marketplace or public square, plus "-phobia" (fear).

adverb

Latin

From Latin "adverbium," from "ad-" (to) plus "verbum" (word or verb) — literally a word added to a verb.

admonish

Latin

From Latin "admonere," to warn or advise, from "ad-" (to) plus "monere" (to warn).