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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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An anglicized form of Irish O Buadhachanain, from a word meaning "victorious."

From the Hanyu Pinyin romanization of the Mandarin 謝 /谢 (xiè).

Borrowed from the Swedish surname Lindström, combining "linden tree" and "stream."

Variant of Suter.

From Scottish Gaelic Mac an t-Sagairt (literally “son of the priest”).

Americanized spelling of German Kuntz.

From Old English lȳtel ("small, little") + tūn ("settlement, town").

* As an English and German surname, from hall + -er. * As a Alemannic German surname, variant of Halter, a noun meaning "shepherd, owner, holder." * Also as a German surname, variant of Heller. * As a Austrian German surname, from several placenames involving the element Hall meaning "salt," such as Halle in Saxony.

Clipping of shibire. Coined by Japanese-Canadian geneticist and zoologist David Suzuki, the person who also coined "shibire".

Borrowed from German Schweitzer.

* As a Spanish and French surname, from the noun chapín (“type of overshoe”). * As an English surname, variant of Chopin, also found as the variants Chopping, Chappin.

A variant of the surname Gluck.

From Old English elements meaning either "flax clearing" or "lime-tree clearing," depending on the specific place.

An anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó hAnluain, from a personal name built on words for "light" or "warrior."

From Irish Ó Caoinleáin, from caoin ("delicate, refined") + dealbh ("shape").

Reduced Anglicized form of Irish Ó Laithbhearthaig. Compare Flaherty.

A blend of brink ("edge") and man, tied to the rise of the term "brinkmanship" in Cold War-era politics.

Reduced Anglicized form of Irish Ó Flannabhra (“descendant of Flannabhra”), a personal name derived from flann (“blood red”) + abhra (“eyebrow”). The bridge convention was invented by American player William (Bill) L. Flannery.

From German Kümmel, from Old High German kumil.

An Anglicized form of Irish Ó Faoláin, from faol ("wolf").

From French beau lieu, meaning "beautiful place".

From a Norman habitational surname derived from the village of Pleugueneuc in Brittany.

From Old English heord ("herd") + wīċ ("village").

From Mandarin 蔡 (Cài), Wade–Giles romanization: Tsʻai⁴.