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

The fish sense is simply a shortening of "otocinclus."

Rooted in ancient South and Southeast Asian mythology, where the word denoted a serpent-spirit associated with rivers, rain, and the underworld.

From Malay mandi ("to bathe"); the food sense developed independently in Yemeni Arabic.

Borrowed from Cantonese and Hokkien particles used to express resignation.

From grease plus the suffix -er. The youth-culture sense comes from members slicking their hair back with pomade or grease.

Borrowed from Malay salah.

Borrowed from Latin scāla, "ladder" — the same root that gives English "scale."

From Old English stigrap, literally "climbing rope" — combining a word related to "ascend" with "rope."

Formed from the given name "James" plus "-son," meaning "son of James."

From Catalan cava, literally "wine cellar" — the underground cellars where the wine is aged.

From Māori kono.

The slang sense for money is of uncertain origin, possibly connected to "six."

From Anglo-Norman confederacie, from Latin cōnfoederātiō — a doublet of "confederation."

The past participle of "mince", formed by adding "-ed".

Borrowed from Tagalog puto, itself from Malay putu, which traces back to a Tamil word for a steamed rice dish — a chain of borrowing that followed centuries of trade across South and Southeast Asia.

From Middle English resuscitacion, from Old French ressuscitacion and Latin resuscitātio. Equivalent to resuscitate + -ion.

From Latin Pompeius.

From the German surname Durst ("dryness, thirst").

* The large city in West Yorkshire is from Old English Loidis, from Latin *Lādenses, most likely based on an early river-name derived from Proto-Celtic *lāto (“rut, heat”) (cf. Welsh llawd (“heat, ardour”)). * The village in Kent is from Middle English Hledes, probably from a stream-name.

From Portuguese Ceilão, tracing back through Old French, Persian, Pali, and ultimately Sanskrit siṃhala.

From "cinematograph" (an early word for a movie camera/projector) plus the suffix "-y", echoing the French cinématographie.

From Old French desobedient, built from dis- + obedient.

Borrowed from Latin negōtiātor (“merchant, banker”), equivalent to negotiate + -or.

Diminutives + -ie.