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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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Reduced Anglicized form of Irish Ó Madagáin (“descendant of Madagán”), a variant of the personal name Madadhán, which is from madadh (“dog”) + -án (“diminutive suffix”).

From non-English surnames: * From Khmer មេង (meing) * From Mandarin 孟 (Mèng). * From German Meng

From Arabic إِقْبَال (ʔiqbāl).

From Irish Ó hÁdhmaill, "descendant of Ádhmall," a nickname meaning "active."

Possibly derived from a lost settlement in Flanders called Brontegeest, brought to England after the Norman Conquest.

Two main origins: * Reduced form of Mullally, a surname of Irish origin. * Borrowed from French L'Ally or a variant of Laly.

Metonymic occupational surname for a fuller, from tread + well.

* As an English and Scottish surname, from the noun crab (both senses) * As a German, Dutch, and occasionally Danish surname, spelling variant of Krabbe.

Borrowed from Hebrew יפה (yafé, “beautiful, comely”).

From either of two derivations: # Old English bucca (“he-goat”) + mann (“man”), to denote a goat-keeper. # Old English bōc (“book”) + mann (“man”), to denote a student or scholar, or else a book-copier or bookbinder.

From German "ehrlich," meaning honest.

Borrowed from Cantonese 嚴 /严 (jim⁴) or Cantonese 閻 /阎 (jim⁴).

English surname, variant of Thirsk, a name and town in Yorkshire.

Variant of Machen.

Borrowed from German Propst ("provost").

An Anglicized form of Irish Ó Baoighealláin, "descendant of Baoigheallán."

From Arabic "mansur," meaning "victorious."

A variant of Moorhouse.

Ultimately from Arabic رِضَا (riḍā, "satisfaction").

From Irish Ó Maolchalann, "descendant of Maolchalann."

* As a Scottish Gaelic and Irish surname, from Mac Shuibhne (“son of Suibhne”), a byname meaning "pleasant." See McSweeney. * Also as a Scottish and Irish surname, from Mac Shuain, based on Old Norse sveinn (“boy servant”). Also compare Swain, McSwan. * Also as a Scottish and Irish surname, Anglicized form of Irish Mac Caoimhín (literally “son of Kevin”). * As a French surname, Americanized from Moquin.

Borrowed from German Kissinger.

* From new + house. * Calque of German Neuhaus. Derived from Neuhaus (cf. Samuel Irving Newhouse Sr.), anglicization of German Neuhaus. From neu+Haus. Cognate with, Catalan Casanova, French Maisonneuve, German Neuhaus, Italian Casanova, Occitan Casanova.

From Old English brycg ("bridge") plus hām ("homestead"), meaning "homestead by the bridge."