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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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Borrowed from Arabic سِنْدِبَاد (sindibād), from Middle Persian (compare Persian سندباد (sendbâd)), possibly borrowed from Sanskrit सिद्धपथ (siddhapatha, “path of the Blessed”). According to folk etymology, from سند (send) + باد (bâd), whence also the Arabic هِنْدِبَاد (hindibād).

Borrowed from Iranian Persian خمینی (xomeyni), from خمین (xomeyn, “Khomeyn”) + ـی (-i).

Borrowed from Armenian Սոնա (Sona).

From Arabic, itself likely from an older Semitic root.

Borrowed from Sanskrit bhavānī, an epithet of the Hindu goddess associated with Durga and Parvati.

Named after Mount Rainier in Washington State, itself named by a British naval officer after Rear Admiral Peter Rainier.

Reduced Anglicized form of Irish Ó hÉilidhe (“descendant of the claimant”), from éilidhe (“claimant”), or from Irish Ó hÉalaighthe (“descendant of Éaladhach”), a personal name from ealadhach (“ingenious”).

A shortening of "Art Deco," itself from the French Exposition des Arts Décoratifs held in Paris in 1925.

Inherited from Middle English rye, rie, from Old English ryġe, from Proto-West Germanic *rugi, from Proto-Germanic *rugiz. Germanic cognates include Dutch and West Frisian rogge, Low German Rogg, German Roggen, Rocken, Old Norse rugr (Danish rug, Swedish råg); non-Germanic cognates include Russian рожь (rožʹ) and Latvian rudzi.

From German Führer, meaning "leader" or "guide."

Alternative spelling of dog.

Borrowed from the Spanish word laguna, meaning "lake" or "lagoon" — the tribe's pueblo sits near a lake formed by damming a local river.

Borrowed from Portuguese and Spanish Prado.

Two main origins for the surname: * Borrowed from Greek Μηνάς (Minás), a patronymic surname. * Borrowed from Spanish Minas or Miñas. The given name is from Greek Μηνάς (Minás) and Armenian Մինաս (Minas).

Ancient Greek Μένδης (Méndēs)

From Romance Spanish Quintana and Portuguese Quintana.

From south + land.

Scottish Gaelic

Possibly from Scottish Gaelic muir ("sea") or muireach ("mariner").

Borrowed from Sanskrit इन्दिरा (indirā).

From Ancient Greek Λῠ́σᾰνδρος (Lŭ́săndros).

Anglicization of various Irish or Scottish Gaelic surnames. In Canada, the surname is also used as a common Anglicization of Cree ᒪᐦᑭᔪᐠ (mahkiyok, “the big one”) according to records of Scottish missionaries. * (town in Alberta): see entry for Fort Macleod.

From Old English wind (“wind”) + ġeat (“gate”).

From Gettys + -burg; named for Samuel Gettys, settler.

From Old English fæġer (“beautiful, fair”) + feld (“field”), equivalent to fair + field.