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 Hebrew רַבִּי (rabbi), literally "my master," through Greek and Latin into Middle English.

From Greek blasphēmía ("profanity, slander") via Old French and Latin.

From Middle English licencen, from Old French licencier, from Medieval Latin licentio.

Coined by the 16th-century Bible translator William Tyndale from "scape" (escape) + "goat," describing an ancient ritual in which a goat symbolically carried away a community's sins into the wilderness.

From Old English godspell, literally "good news" (god + spell, "story"), coined to translate the Greek euangélion — the source of the English word "evangel."

Traced back through Latin and Greek to Hebrew satan, meaning "adversary" or "accuser" — originally a title or role rather than a personal name.

From Old French organiser, from Medieval Latin organizāre, ultimately from Greek órganon.

From Old French defens/defense, from Late Latin dēfēnsa ("protection"); it replaced the native Old English word bewering.

From the biblical Tower of Babel, where, according to Genesis, God confused human languages so builders could no longer understand one another.

From Late Latin prōdigālis, "wasteful," from Latin prōdigus, "lavish, wasteful." The "returning after abandonment" sense comes from the biblical Parable of the Prodigal Son.

From Middle French pratiser, ultimately from Ancient Greek praktikos, "practical" — the noun spelling with -ice became standard in British English, while American English also uses "practice" for the verb.

From French fibre, from Latin fibra.

From Middle English story, ultimately from Latin historia ("narrative"), possibly because medieval buildings often had picture-friezes telling a story on each level. It's a doublet of both story and history.

From French fibre, ultimately from Latin fibra.

From Greek apostolos, "one sent forth," from apostellein, "to send away."

From Biblical Hebrew śərāp̄îm, plural of śārāp̄ (possibly "fiery ones"), via Greek and Latin.

From Old English nēah, meaning "near" — an older form of the modern word "near."

From Middle French spectre, from Latin spectrum ("appearance, apparition") — the same Latin root that gives us "spectrum."

From Anglo-Norman estorie, from Latin historia ("account, narrative"), from Ancient Greek historíā, meaning "learning through inquiry". A doublet of history and storey.

From French manœuvre, ultimately from Latin manu operari, "to work by hand" — the same root gives us "manual" and "operate."

From Late Latin iustificatio, from iustificare, "to make just."

From Hindustani paijama/pajama, ultimately from Persian words for "leg garment."

From Latin trinitas ("group of three"), from trini ("three each"); it displaced the native Old English word thrines.

From atone + -ment, originally formed from at + onement ("the state of being at one").