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.

Browse etymology by letter

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Recently added

Uncertain. The forms rhum and rumbustion appear around the same time.

From Middle English roundelet, from Old French rondelet (“roundlet”). More at roundlet.

Borrowed from Japanese 薩(さつ)摩(ま)芋(いも) (Satsuma imo, literally “Satsuma potato”).

A 19th century variant of satin, perhaps influenced by velveteen.

From rural + -ist.

From Middle English runel, rennel, rinel, from Old English rynel (“that which runs; runner; stream”), from Proto-Germanic *runilaz, equivalent to run + -el. Cognate with Scots rinel, rinnal (“stream; runnel”), Swedish rännel (“runner; runnel”).

Sarcophaga + -an

Borrowed from Latin scīlicet.

From sclero- + therapy.

From schlep + -er.

From savoury + -ly.

From scaffold + -er.

From sacristan + -ry.

From salt + -ie (“diminutive suffix”).

From Middle English rewayn, from Anglo-Norman rewain, from an Old Northern French variant of Old French regain (“an increase”), from re- + gaigner (“to till, win”). The alternative forms represent replacement of unanalysable final /ən/ with the more tractable suffixes -et, -ing; roughing presumably relies on a lost pronunciation of rough as /ˈɹaʊ/.

From Middle English runish, runisch, from Old English *rūnisc, *rȳnisc, rēnisc (“mysterious, mystic”), equivalent to rune + -ish.

Borrowed from Yiddish שנאָרער (shnorer) or German Schnorrer.

From school + mistress.

From scholar + -ed.

Alteration of scantillon + -ling, from Old French escantillon (“sample pattern”) (Modern French échantillon). Later senses also influenced by similarity with scant.

From row + barge.

From same + -ly. Compare Middle English samli (“together, with each other”, adverb).

From row + port.