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

Borrowed from Mandarin 蔡 (cài).

Borrowed from Spanish Morales.

Diminutive + "-ie."

From Jean + -ie.

From Greek Arkhimedes.

From Manchuria plus the adjective suffix -an.

From Old Norse valkyrja, "chooser of the slain".

From Latin Jacobus ("James") plus -ite, since the movement supported the deposed King James II.

From Persian "sardar," a compound of "sar" ("head") and a word for "holder" or "possessor."

From Foulden, a village in Norfolk, from Old English fuġol (“bird”) + tūn (“dwelling”).

Named after the Stroganov family, a wealthy Russian family historically linked to the settlement of Siberia.

From Hindi kabaddi, itself borrowed from Tamil, where the word traces back to "kai" (hand) plus "pidi" (grip) — roughly "holding hands."

Formed from Benjamin plus the affectionate suffix -ie.

A folksy blend of "that" and "way."

From Ottoman Turkish مراد (murad), from Arabic مُرَاد (murād).

A straightforward compound of code and name.

A run-together form of the phrase "what is it," used as a stand-in for an unnamed object.

From Latin Valerius. Doublet of Valery.

Borrowed from Hindi holī, ultimately from Sanskrit.

From the German-Jewish banking family surname Rothschild, literally "red shield," reinterpreted in English as if it meant "Roth's child."

From the Mongolian word for a waterless, semi-desert area.

From Tswana Kgalagadi, meaning roughly "the great thirst" — a reference to how dry the region is.

From marl plus the adjective-forming suffix -y, as in "clayey" or "sandy."

A clipped, casual pronunciation of "mosquito," similar to how "tater" comes from "potato."