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.

Browse etymology by letter

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Recently added

An American contraction of Harland, from Old English hara ("hare") + land ("land").

A spelling variant of Mason, or in some cases directly from French maison, "house."

A shortened, affectionate form of Jordan, and also a modern spelling of Geordie (from George).

From Hebrew רִבְקָה (rivká); a doublet of Rebecca.

Borrowed from Spanish rey ("king"); a doublet of Roy.

Coined by George Lucas, first appearing as "Annikin Starkiller" in early Star Wars drafts.

From Sanskrit īśāna, the name of a Hindu deity and guardian of the northeast direction.

Borrowed from Kashmiri and also from Italian, as an independent surname.

From Irish Cianán, a diminutive of Cian.

The Spanish form of the Latin name Augustinus, sharing a root with "Augustine" and "Austin."

A variant of Alyssa, linked either to the name Alicia or to the flower alyssum.

* As a Scottish surname, variant of Body, Boddy, Boddie. * As a French surname, variant of Bodi, see Beaudin.

Thought to originate from Brixistane, meaning "the stone of Brixi," a Saxon lord.

Borrowed from Tibetan བསྟན་འཛིན (bstan 'dzin).

* As a south German surname, variant of Meindl, from a pet form of Mein. * As a Jewish given name, from the Yiddish personal name מענדל (Mendl), a diminutive form of מאַן (man, “man”), an affectionate form of מנחם (m'nachém), or ultimately from Old Spanish Mendes through Ladino.

Borrowed from German Rosenberg, literally "rose mountain".

Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Mac an t-Saoir (“son of the craftsman”), from saor (“craftsman”).

Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Mac Caluim (“son of Calum”).

From whyte (“white”). Uncertain semantics.

Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Mac Maoláin (“son of Maolán”), a personal name derived from a diminutive of maol (“bald, tonsured”). Cognate with Irish Mac Maoláin.

From Irish Mac Aodha and Scottish Gaelic MacAoidh (literally “son of Aodh”). Related to McCoy and McGee.

Romanization of Cantonese 顧／顾 (gu3).

Anglicized borrowing of German Ehrhardt.

From Serbo-Croatian Darko.