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 German groß ("great, large, tall") + Mann ("man").

The county was either named after Chief Marin, of the Coast Miwok tribe, or derived from the Spanish name of its eastern bay known as Bahía de Nuestra Señora del Rosario la Marinera in 1775.

Scottish Gaelic

From Scottish Gaelic Gall-Ghàidhealaibh, literally "(among the) foreign Gaels," referring to the Gaelic-speaking Norse settlers of the area.

From Latin "flavus," meaning "golden" or "yellow."

Jewish, German, Dutch, Danish, Polish, French, Breton, Haitian, Mauritian, and Spanish (as Salomón) surname, all a variant of Solomon.

From an old occupational surname for someone in charge of table linen in a great house.

Latin Drūsilla, a feminine diminutive form of the cognomen Drūsus.

Name of several early saints, from Latin iustus (“just”), from iūs + -tus.

A variant of Samson.

From German Gott ("god") and Friede ("peace").

From Old English būgan ("to bend") + stān ("stone").

From the surname Nietzsche plus the adjective ending -ean.

From visual + the suffix -ise, the everyday British alternative to -ize.

From Arabic ʕadnān, meaning "settler."

A shortened, informal form of "Oklahoma" with the diminutive ending "-ie."

From the Arabic letter ص (ṣ).

Borrowed from Spanish romero.

From Old French castelain, ultimately from Latin castellanus, related to castellum ("castle").

From Ancient Greek Nikodemos, combining nike ("victory") and demos ("people").

Clipping of Thaddeus.

From Greek Thaddaios, of uncertain earlier origin, possibly Aramaic.

From Latin Linus, itself from Ancient Greek Λῖνος (Lînos), a name of uncertain original meaning.

From Japanese manju, itself from a Chinese word for a filled steamed bun.

From Middle English co and Old English ca ("jackdaw").