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

From the Amharic form of the name Adam.

From Richard. As a female name also from Erica.

Borrowed from Russian Бре́жнев (Bréžnev).

Borrowed from Italian Berlusconi.

Romanization of Russian and Ukrainian Ва́ня (Vánja, “Johnny”), a diminutive of Ива́н (Iván), Іван (Ivan, “John”)

Borrowed from German Schindler. Doublet of Shingler.

Borrowed from Marathi पाटील (pāṭīl, “village head”) or through Kannada ಪಾಟೀಲ (pāṭīla, “village head”), from Old Marathi 𑘢𑘘𑘺𑘩 (paṭaila), from Prakrit 𑀧𑀝𑁆𑀝𑀇𑀮𑁆𑀮 (paṭṭaïlla), from Sanskrit पट्टकिल (paṭṭakila). Doublet of Patel.

A compound of "cart" and "man," describing someone who works with a cart.

An 18th-century coinage from Dora or Dorothy, + -inda.

Borrowed from the Korean name 부산 (Busan).

Ottoman Turkish

From Turkish İzmir, ultimately from Ottoman Turkish; a doublet of the ancient name Smyrna.

From Middle English light-fot, formed from light (adjective) + foot.

Anglicization of Irish Ó Conghalaigh and Ó Conghaile, patronyms of Conghalach. Doublet of Connolly

From Old English personal name Totta, in the genitive case Tottan + hām (“homestead”).

Patronymic surname from the Middle English given name Wat, derived from Walter, equivalent to Watt + -s.

From the name Pocahontas, a Powhatan name meaning roughly "she is playful."

From Mandarin, literally "deep irrigation ditch."

From Steph + -ie.

Clipping of Zimmerman, the surname of a man who worked in lumber in the area.

A word of local English origin used originally by quarrymen and brickmakers for this type of soil, first written down in the early 1800s.

Borrowed from Italian Domini.

A trademarked name created in the 1990s by Colombian dance instructor Beto Pérez. He originally wanted to call the workout "rumba," but that name was already taken by the Cuban music style, so he settled on the invented, similar-sounding "Zumba" instead.

Named after the French town of Verdun, historically associated with sword-making.

A learned borrowing from Latin margō, a doublet of marge and margin.