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 Latin caliga ("leather boot") + -ula, a childhood nickname meaning "little boot."

From Ferdinand + -ie, with the root itself from Spanish Ferdinando.

Variant of Odom.

A casual clipping of "grizzly", the large brown bear native to North America.

From Old French bailis, inflection of bailif (“bailiff, officer in a court of law”).

Borrowed from Sanskrit कैलास (kailāsa).

A run-together spelling of "in spite of."

Anglicized from Irish mag Uidhir.

Anglicized from Irish Mac Aonghusa and Scottish Gaelic MacAonghais. Compare English McGuiness

From west + port. From west or the surname West and port.

A clipped, informal version of medical terms built on the Greek prefix "tachy-", meaning "swift" or "fast" — the same root found in "tachycardia" and "tachometer."

From "bug" plus "-sy," on the pattern of adjectives like "cutesy."

A trademarked brand name.

Italian · 1942

Popularized by the 1942 Disney film "Bambi"; the name itself comes from Italian bambina, "young girl."

From a Native American language, likely Tongva Asuksagna.

Russian · 1869

From Grigori Rasputin (1869-1916), the Russian mystic who gained significant influence over the last Tsarist court; his name became a byword for a shadowy, unelected advisor.

From Russian Толсто́й (Tolstój), related to "то́лстый" (tólstyj), meaning "stout."

Borrowed from Japanese りさ (Risa).

Borrowed from French Laude, but also from Tagalog Laude.

Various origins: * Borrowed from Cebuano Bas, from bas (“sand”). * Borrowed from Catalan Bas, a habitational surname from a place in Catalonia. * Borrowed from French Bas, from bas (“low”). * Borrowed from Basque Bas, a topographic surname from baso (“wood”). * Borrowed from Slovene Baš, a short form of the personal name Sebastjan.

From Japanese えり.

From Japanese アキバ (Akiba).

From heath + cliff.

From "Chester" plus the common place-name suffix "-ton".