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 "Nubia" + the suffix "-an."

From Hindi rākhī, from Sanskrit rakṣikā, related to rakṣā ("protection") — the same root behind the idea of "guarding" a sibling bond.

Coined in 1969 by physicist Richard Feynman, combining "part" with the particle-naming suffix "-on."

From Arabic amin, "trustworthy, faithful."

From Danish Petersen or, less often, from Norwegian Petersen.

From the Old English words for "west brook".

"The bur-covered riverbank", from bur + bank.

From Portuguese and Spanish Francisca, from Latin Francisca. Doublet of Frances.

Borrowed from Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish Cristina, itself from Latin Christina.

Borrowed directly from Portuguese and Spanish; a doublet of Beatrice.

From Spanish Mateo, from Latin Matthaeus, from Ancient Greek Ματθαῖος (Matthaîos), from Hebrew מַתִּתְיָהוּ (mattiṯyāhū). Doublet of Matthew.

From Spanish Evita, a pet form of Eva.

Short form of Germanic compound names beginning with the tribal name Wendel-, "a Wend".

From Vulgate Latin Sinai, from Ancient Greek Σινάι (Sinái), from Hebrew סִינַי (Sináy).

From German schwarz, "black"; a doublet of Swart.

Compare German Drilling.

From Sanskrit शक्ति (śakti), meaning "power" or "energy."

A clipped, informal pronunciation of "brother," first used in African-American Vernacular English before spreading widely through internet and youth slang; unlike "bro" (which clips the spelling), "bruh" clips the actual sound of the word.

From German Gummi ("rubber"), used as a brand name for a chewy German candy.

From Latin "prae," meaning "in front of" or "before" — the same root behind the prefix "pre-" in words like "prepare" and "preview."

From "pose" plus the adjective suffix "-y."

A medieval Spanish royal name, of probably Gothic origin, and debated meaning, possibly 𐌲𐌰𐌹𐌻𐌾𐌰𐌽 (gailjan) + *𐍅𐌴𐍂𐌴𐌹 (*wērei), thus "joyful sincerity". It became famous outside Spain after its appearance in Mozart's Don Giovanni (1787). The place name Elvira is a contraction of the older Illiberi, new city.

Borrowed from Arabic أُسَامَة (ʔusāma).

The tree name comes from a West African language; the Irish surname is an anglicized form of Ó Séaghdha.