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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unintentionally

From unintentional + -ly.

Named after the Renaissance scholar Erasmus of Rotterdam, and reverse-engineered into the acronym "European Community Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students."

"Golf" plus the agent suffix "-er," the same pattern as "runner" or "painter."

From French inaugural, from inaugurer, tracing back to Latin augurare, "to take omens."

From sever + -ance.

From understandable plus the adverb-forming suffix -ly.

From a later form of ithand, itself an alteration (due to assimilation to suffix -and) of Middle English ithen, from Old Norse iðinn (“assiduous, diligent”), from iðja, iðna (“to do, perform”), from ið (“a restless motion”), equivalent to ithe + -and and/or ithe + -en. Cognate with Icelandic iðinn (“diligent”), Norwegian idig (“busy”), Danish id (“pursuit, calling, business”). More at ithand.

The French form of the name that appears in English as Alan.

From place names in England. Variant: Albee.

Shortened from "false albacore," itself named for its resemblance to the albacore tuna.

A diminutive of Alfred/Alfonso formed with the affectionate -ie ending.

From French Alphonse, ultimately from a Germanic compound meaning roughly "noble and ready".

From French mousquetaire, built from musket plus the agent suffix -eer.

From pension + -er.

A straightforward compound of meal and time, going back to Old English mǣltīma.

From "blight" plus "-ed."

From tempter + the feminine suffix -ess.

From Middle English fellere, feller; equivalent to fell + -er.

Clipping of Abigail.

From Hebrew, built from roots meaning "brother" and "father"; it reached English through Greek and Latin versions of the Old Testament.

Built from holo- + -graph + -ic, following the pattern of "hologram."

Borrowed from Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish Adolfo.

From "May" (the month) + "flower" — either the ship named for the season, or the plants that bloom in it.

From conversation + -al.