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 showman + -ship.

From Aramaic bar tolmai, meaning "son of Talmai," via Greek and Latin.

Of Slavic origin, mainly from Russian Тама́ра (Tamára), name of a 12th-century saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church, cognate with English biblical Tamar, from Hebrew תמר (tāmār, “date palm”).

From Old English Æþelþrȳþ, from æþele ("noble") + þrȳþ ("strength").

From Latin excellentia, the same root as "excellence."

From Old Norse rannsaka, literally "to search a house" — from rann ("house") plus a word meaning "to seek."

From Middle English folysly, folysschly; equivalent to foolish + -ly.

Borrowed directly from Italian.

Borrowed directly from Italian.

The Italian and Spanish form of Albert.

From "defibrillate" (to stop fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat) plus the agent suffix -or.

A compound of spring and board.

The (Vulgate) Latin Eva, from Ancient Greek Εὔα (Eúa), from Biblical Hebrew חַוָּה (ḥawwā). A Latinate variant of the English Eve.

Formed from spray plus the "-ing" suffix.

An anglicised form of Latin lēnis ("smooth, gentle").

From un- + cool, in the informal sense of "fashionable."

Borrowed from a Chehalis word naming a Chinook village on the Columbia River.

From liquidate plus the noun-forming suffix -ion.

From liquid plus the noun suffix -ity, from Latin liquiditas.

From French galanterie, built on gallant plus the suffix -ry.

Probably from a dialect word "ricket" meaning unstable, possibly influenced by the word rickets.

From "fit" (the verb) plus the agent suffix "-er," meaning "one who fits things."

From Old English hyrned, from horn + the adjective ending -ed.

From bright plus the verb-forming suffix -en.