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 notice + -able.

From the verb "appall," "-ed" added to describe the resulting state.

Borrowed from Japanese heya, literally "room," referring to the communal living quarters of a sumo training school.

From "lazy" plus the noun-forming suffix "-ness."

Borrowed from Japanese 心 (kokoro), meaning heart, mind, or spirit.

From rejuvenate + -ion, cf. Latin reiuvenatiō.

Possibly from Amharic or Tigrinya širo, meaning "chickpea flour."

Origin unclear; possibly connected to Old English hālsian ("to beseech, entreat"), though the sense has shifted considerably over time.

Borrowed from Mongolian ger, meaning "home" or "tent."

From Old Persian Dārayavaʰuš via Greek Δᾱρεῖος (Dāreîos) and Latin Dārīus.

From Latin perseverantia, "steadfastness," from perseverare ("to persist").

From Late Latin mediātus, past participle of mediāre ("to be in the middle"), from medius ("middle").

From Latin praesidere, "to sit in front of, guard, superintend," from prae- ("before") and sedere ("to sit").

From New Latin praeventivus, from prevent + -ive.

A straightforward compound of "text" and "book".

From Latin politicus, from Greek politikos, "of citizens," from polites, "citizen."

From the Mandarin word for the instrument.

From Middle English "mone," from Old English roots meaning "complaint" or "lamentation."

From Old French novelté, ultimately from Latin novellus, "new."

From night + time.

The Latinized form of the name of French physician and seer Michel de Nostredame, who lived in the 1500s.

Origin uncertain, first recorded in the 1890s in the US; possibly linked to German Fink ("finch"), since finches were seen as noisy, chattering birds — an image that fits an informer.

From Cornish Jenifer, a form of Welsh Gwenhwyfar ("Guinevere").

From Old English lihtnes, formed from light + the noun suffix -ness.