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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 Arabic amjad, "most glorious," most common as a surname in Pakistan.

From the Cornish surname, from a pet form of various personal names such as Osborn or Osbald.

After Varda, Queen of the Valar, in Tolkien's Elvish legendarium.

Americanized spelling of Polish Myszkiewicz.

From a Dutch habitational surname referring to the Belgian place Longdoz.

Variant of McLaren.

Borrowed from Japanese 大木 (Ōki).

Borrowed from Marathi सावंत (sāvanta).

Two main origins: * Borrowed from Swiss German Jäggi. * Borrowed from Punjabi.

Borrowed from Latin "data," the plural of "datum," meaning "(a thing) given." It entered English as a scientific and statistical term before becoming everyday vocabulary in the computer age.

Borrowed from Korean 구미호 (gumiho, "nine-tailed fox").

Anglicized form of Irish Mac Giolla Fhionntóg and Scottish Gaelic Mac Gille Fhionndaig (“son of the servant of (Saint) Finndag”), a personal name derived from fionn (“white”).

Variant of Dreyfus.

From Old English wīnhūs, a straightforward compound of wine + house.

Borrowed from French Gimbert.

Americanized spelling of German Jauss.

From Japanese Mima.

A shortening of "poliomyelitis," from Greek polios ("grey") + myelos ("marrow," referring to the spinal cord) + -itis ("inflammation").

A variant spelling of "bonnie."

From darker, perhaps a nickname for a person with very dark hair or complexion or an occupational surname for someone who darkened leather.

Variant of McNeil.

Borrowed from Marathi राणे (rāṇe).

Anglicized form of Irish and Scottish Gaelic Mac Riada (“son of Riada”), a byname meaning "expert", "trained".

Anglicized form of Irish Mac Conchradha (“son of Conchradh”), a personal name composed of the elements cú (“hound”) + crádh (“torment”). See Mac.