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 "un-" + "knowable."

From un- + professional.

From un- + patriotic.

From "un-" + "mitigated" (softened or lessened).

From enroll plus the noun-forming suffix -ment, following the same French-derived pattern as words like "development" or "employment."

From Greek "Sibylla," referring to the prophetic oracles of antiquity.

A 20th-century variant of Sybil or Sibyl.

From "blues" + "-y."

From hyper- + drive.

From Latin Olympius, ultimately from Greek Olympos, "Mount Olympus."

From un- ("not") plus recognizable.

A German contraction of Geheime Staatspolizei, meaning "secret state police."

From Old English æppel + -tun, equivalent to apple + -ton. The town in Newfoundland is named for sawmill owner Appleton Cleaves.

From Welsh, Spanish, and Portuguese Iago, ultimately from Hebrew Jacob via Greek and Latin; a doublet of James and Jacob.

From un- (\"not\") plus traceable.

From "blow" + "torch," describing a flame intensified by a jet of air or gas.

Named after the Japanese city of Mishima, either because the pottery-making technique passed through there from Korea, or after a type of almanac once printed in the town.

From dress + maker.

A straightforward compound of dream and land.

Formed from diet + -er, following the usual pattern for "someone who does X."

From town + folk, describing the everyday residents of a town as a collective.

From Sanskrit ऋषि (ṛṣi), meaning "seer," an ancient word going back to Proto-Indo-Iranian roots for someone who perceives or channels sacred knowledge.

From unique + -ness.

From Latin Cerberus, from Ancient Greek Kerberos, of unknown origin.