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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 the Dutch surname de Witt. The verb sense recalls the 1672 lynching of Dutch statesmen Johan and Cornelis de Witt.

An anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Síodhacháin, ultimately from a personal name meaning "peaceful."

Reduced Anglicized form of Irish Ó Duibhidhir, from dubh ("black, dark") + odhar ("sallow, tawny").

An English topographical surname from the noun holly.

Borrowed from German Kessler, Keßler (“kettler, kettle-smith, tinker”). See also Kessel (“kettle”).

From Spanish cordero, meaning "lamb."

Anglicized form of Irish Ó Maol Dhomhnaigh (“descendant of the devotee of Sunday”), from maol (“devotee”) and Domhnach (“Sunday”).

Reduced Anglicized form of Irish Ó Donnchadha (“descendant of Donnchadh”), a personal name composed of the elements donn (“brown-haired”) + cath (“battle”).

An anglicized form of Irish Ó Gormáin ("descendant of Gormán").

Borrowed from Vietnamese Ngô, from Hokkien 吳 /吴 (Ngô͘).

From a non-rhotic pronunciation of your. Compare yo and cha.

Borrowed from Vietnamese Vũ.

From Dutch Vos. Doublet of Fox and Fuchs.

Borrowed from Vietnamese Võ.

South German and Jewish surname Krüger, from the noun senses Krug (“jug”) and Krug (“inn, pub”). Compare Krug, Kruger.

From Hokkien 傷 /伤 (siong). The spelling with x is Pinyin-based.

Borrowed from Spanish Esparza, a habitational surname from Basque Espartza.

From Spanish Salgado, from Galician Salgado.

Borrowing from Spanish Guevara, from Basque.

An anglicization of Spanish Beltrán.

* (Chinese surname): From a romanization of Cantonese 蔡 (coi³). Doublet of Tsai and Cai. * (Korean surname): From a romanization of Korean 최(崔) (Choe). Doublet of Cui and Chui.

Borrowed from Spanish Arias.

From Spanish Pineda.

From Mandarin 劉 /刘 (liú), doublet of Lau and Luu.