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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Borrowed from Japanese ひでお (Hideo).

The first name is from Irish Conchúr, Conchobhar, from Old Irish Conchobar (“lover of hounds”). The surname is from Irish Ó Conchúir (“descendant of Conchúr”).

From Greek parthenon, "chamber of the virgin," referring to Athena, the virgin goddess it honours.

From "grand-" plus "daddy," a child's word for father.

From unofficial + -ly.

From Norwegian Kari, diminutive of Katrine.

A run-together spelling of "God damn it," squeezed into one word the way it actually gets said out loud.

From tree + top.

From hug plus the agent suffix -er, meaning "one who does the action."

From Middle English herde ("herdsman"), related to herd, plus the agent suffix -er.

Formed as an affectionate short form of longer given names, using the familiar "-ie" ending.

From Japanese 大阪 (Ōsaka), literally "large hill."

From expert + the adverb ending -ly.

From expedition + the adjective ending -ary.

From Irish Ó Duibhlin; a doublet of the surname Devlin.

From Ukrainian гоголь (hóholʹ), a word for the common goldeneye duck.

Borrowed from Spanish Dolores.

Possibly a variant of Adela or Delia, first recorded in the 19th century.

Apparently brought up in English literature by James Fenimore Cooper in The Last of the Mohicans (1826), but compare a female heroine of this name in Jean-François Marmontel's Les Incas (1777) and the Ancient Greek epithet Κόρη (Kórē) for Περσεφόνη (Persephónē). It could also refer directly to κόρη (kórē, “maiden”).

A deverbal noun formed from the phrase "read out."

Borrowed from French CQ.

From Hebrew ʾădônāy, "my Lord," used in place of the Tetragrammaton out of reverence.

Built from endanger plus the noun-forming suffix -ment.

From Hebrew כַּרְמֶל (karmél, "vineyard of God").