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.

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From French Eiffel, from German Eiffel, Eifel. Family name adopted as a reference to the Eifel mountains.

From Spanish rosario ("rosary"); a doublet of rosary.

Formed from the "Iz-" sound shared by names like Isabel, Isaac, and Israel, plus the affectionate -y ending.

From Russian and Ukrainian Máša, a nickname for Maria.

From Japanese Miyazaki.

Named after Kodiak Island, Alaska, itself from the Alutiiq word for the island.

A clipped, informal form of "marvellous."

A compound of hammer and smith, originally an occupational term, later fixed as the name of the London district.

A playful respelling of "duty," probably blended with the sound of "doo-doo."

From Middle English Walsch (“Welsh(man)”), from Old English wælisċ, variant of wīelisċ.

The unit is named after Danish physicist Niels Bohr, whose surname likely traces back to a Slavic or medieval personal name imported into Scandinavia.

From Arabic, ultimately the source of the country name Morocco itself.

From Hebrew tamár, meaning "date palm" or "date."

Derived from "buckshot," shortened and turned into slang for a firearm.

Borrowed from Japanese 富(と)山(やま) (Toyama).

A brand name combining "you" with "tube," an old informal word for television, suggesting a platform where ordinary people broadcast their own content.

From the Hanyu Pinyin romanization of the Mandarin 揚州 /扬州 (Yángzhōu).

Borrowed from Spanish Maldonado.

From Medieval Latin separalis, from Latin separ ("separate"). Not related to "seven" or "severe" despite the similar spelling.

From Scottish Gaelic Alasdair, ultimately from the Greek name Alexander.

The pistol is named after its designer, Georg Luger; the sport sense comes from luge (the sled) plus the agent suffix -er.

Coined for the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, blending holo- with deck.

Borrowed from Spanish Carrera.

From Japanese Chiba (千葉).