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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Borrowed from Punjabi ਸੰਧੂ (sandhū).

Borrowed from Italian Fazio.

From still + well.

Borrowed from Polish Górski.

Anglicized from Irish Ó Maolmhuaidh, meaning "descendant of Maolmhuadh."

From Chinese 宋 (Sòng) Wade–Giles romanization: Sung⁴.

From Norman French de Aubigny, a habitational name.

From Mandarin 郭 (Guō). Doublet of Guo and Kwok.

From Malayalam nāyaṟ.

From Matthew + -son.

From the pinyin romanization of Mandarin 曾 (Zēng).

Borrowed from German Hofer.

From Romance. From Vulgar Latin fontana.

Borrowed from Italian Rinaldi.

Variant of Choi.

Borrowed from Cantonese 楊 /杨 (joeng4).

From Old English mylen ("mill") plus burna ("stream, brook").

Borrowed from Hebrew סגל (Segel).

From Spanish Vaca.

Borrowed from French Tremblay.

From French Lacroix, from la (“the”) + croix (“cross”).

Named by Dutch settlers after the States-General of the Netherlands.

Two main origins: * English patronymic surname from the Old English personal name Dynna. * Borrowed from German Denning, a habitational surname from a place in Bavaria.

From French Mercier, from French mercier. Compare Mercy, Marshall.