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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Possibly from Old Norse brandr ("sword"); by folk etymology later treated as a feminine form of Brendan.

From Greek Berenike, meaning "bringer of victory".

From Ancient Greek Berenike, related to the word for "bringing victory."

Borrowed from Spanish Soledad, meaning "solitude," originally as part of a religious name for the mission.

Built from over- + protective.

From Latin ex- ("out") plus tenuare, "to make thin" — the idea of "thinning out" blame.

A romanization of the Mandarin word for "district," borrowed directly into English administrative and geographic writing about China.

Borrowed from Mandarin 酒 (jiǔ), meaning "alcoholic drink."

A twentieth-century spelling variant of Deborah.

Shortened from Lucinda and Cinderella. In the 20th century adopted as a pet form of Cynthia.

A variant of Caroline with -lyn.

From the city of Selma, Alabama, site of the 1965 "Bloody Sunday" attack on civil rights marchers; the city name itself came into fashion in the 19th century alongside similar-sounding names like Thelma and Wilma.

20th century variant of Patricia, probably borrowed from the French male given name Patrice.

From Aramaic Tabita, meaning "doe" or "gazelle," rendered as "Dorcas" in Greek in the New Testament.

Borrowed from French Violette.

From Bill plus the diminutive suffix -ie.

A variant of Gwendolen, Gwendoline with -lyn.

Borrowed from French Yvette.

From Spanish Yolanda, the form of a medieval royal name of obscure, probably Germanic, origin. It has been identified with Latin Violante and with Ancient Greek ἴον (íon, “violet”) + ἄνθος (ánthos, “flower”).

From dear plus the diminutive suffix -ie.

A straightforward compound of white and wood, describing the pale colour of the timber.

From "handle" plus the agent suffix "-er" — one who handles something.

From Cantonese 冇 (mou5), reinforced by influence from the Malay word mau ("to want").

Borrowed from German Stalag, a shortened form of Stammlager ("main camp"), used for WWII POW camps.