The Amazing Histories of Words

Etymology of words or their original "true meanings"



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A rich source of information regarding the earliest
meanings of words as they migrated from the past into the present.



English vocabulary word list clarifying confusing word combinations.

Lists of English Words with Interesting Origins

A

aborigines, aboriginal: from Rome to modern usage;
abracadabra: from abrasadabra to
abracadabra;
abysmal, abyss, abyssal: from the
"bottomless earth" to the bottom of the oceans;
acrobat: from Greek akrobatos and
French acrobate to English acrobat ;
academe, academia, academy: Coming ASAP! ;
admiral: Coming ASAP! ;
aegis: Coming ASAP! ;
affiliate: Coming ASAP! ;
agony: Coming ASAP! ;
Alcatraz: Coming ASAP! ;
allure: Coming ASAP! ;
alphabet: Coming ASAP! ;
amazon: Coming ASAP! ;
ambrosia: Coming ASAP! ;
ambulance: Coming ASAP! ;
amen: Coming ASAP! ;
America: Coming ASAP! ;
assassin: Coming ASAP! ;
amnesty: Coming ASAP! ;
apothecary: Coming ASAP! ;
applaud: Coming ASAP! ;
astrology: Coming ASAP! ;
atlas: Coming ASAP! ;
augur: Coming ASAP! ;
aurora borealis: from Aurora, Roman goddess of dawn to aurora borealis;

B

babel, babble: Coming ASAP! ;
bacchanalian: Coming ASAP! ;
bankrupt: Coming ASAP! ;
barber: Coming ASAP! ;
bedlam: Coming ASAP! ;
berserk: Coming ASAP! ;
bible: Coming ASAP! ;
bonfire: Coming ASAP! ;
book: Coming ASAP! ;
boycott: Coming ASAP! ;

C

cabal: Coming ASAP! ;
cadet: Coming ASAP! ;
caesar: Coming ASAP! ;
cafeteria: Coming ASAP! ;
calisthenics: Coming ASAP! ;
canary: Coming ASAP! ;
candidate: Coming ASAP! ;
cannibal: Coming ASAP! ;
carnival: Coming ASAP! ;
colossal: Coming ASAP! ;
curfew: Coming ASAP! ;

D

decimate: Coming ASAP! ;
dismal: Coming ASAP! ;
dollar: Coming ASAP! ;
dunce: Coming ASAP! ;

E

echo: Coming ASAP! ;
egregious: Coming ASAP! ;
emeritus: Coming ASAP! ;
esoteric: Coming ASAP! ;
europe: Coming ASAP! ;

F

fiasco: Coming ASAP! ;
filibuster: Coming ASAP! ;
Frankenstein: Coming ASAP! ;

G

galaxy: Coming ASAP! ;
gazette: Coming ASAP! ;
gobbledegook: Coming ASAP! ;
googol: Coming ASAP! ;
gringo: Coming ASAP! ;
guillotine: Coming ASAP! ;
gung-ho: Coming ASAP! ;
gymnasium: Coming ASAP! ;
gypsy: Coming ASAP! ;

H

halcyon: Coming ASAP! ;
hocus pocus: Coming ASAP! ;
holiday: Coming ASAP! ;
honeymoon: Coming ASAP! ;
hoodlum: Coming ASAP! ;
hooker: Coming ASAP! ;
humble pie: Coming ASAP! ;
humors: Coming ASAP! ;
hygiene: Coming ASAP! ;
hysterics: Coming ASAP! ;

I

idiot: Coming ASAP! ;
impede: Coming ASAP! ;
infantry: Coming ASAP! ;
influence, influenza: Coming ASAP! ;

J

jazz: Coming ASAP! ;
jeep: Coming ASAP! ;
jinx: Coming ASAP! ;

K

kaleidoscope: Coming ASAP! ;
kibitzer: Coming ASAP! ;
kidnap: Coming ASAP! ;


English vocabulary word list clarifying confusing word combinations.

L

lackadaisical: Coming ASAP! ;
lampoon: Coming ASAP! ;
lesbianism: Coming ASAP! ;
lethargy: Coming ASAP! ;
litter: Coming ASAP! ;
love: Coming ASAP! ;
lunacy: Coming ASAP! ;
lynch: Coming ASAP! ;

M

malapropism: Coming ASAP! ;
mammoth: Coming ASAP! ;
manure: Coming ASAP! ;
marathon: Coming ASAP! ;
masochism: Coming ASAP! ;
maudlin: Coming ASAP! ;
mausoleum: Coming ASAP! ;
maveric: Coming ASAP! ;
mesmerism: Coming ASAP! ;
mnemonic: Coming ASAP! ;
moron: Coming ASAP! ;
mugwump: Coming ASAP! ;
muse: Coming ASAP! ;

N

nausea: Coming ASAP! ;
nemesis: Coming ASAP! ;
nepotism: Coming ASAP! ;
news: Coming ASAP! ;
nocotine: Coming ASAP! ;
nightmare: Coming ASAP! ;
noon: Coming ASAP! ;
nymphomania: Coming ASAP! ;

O

odor: Coming ASAP! ;
oedipus complex: Coming ASAP! ;
omelet: Coming ASAP! ;
one: Coming ASAP! ;
ordeal: Coming ASAP! ;

P

pamphlet: Coming ASAP! ;
panacea: Coming ASAP! ;
pandemonium: Coming ASAP! ;
pander: Coming ASAP! ;
Pandora's box: Coming ASAP! ;
panic: Coming ASAP! ;
paradise: Coming ASAP! ;
parasol: Coming ASAP! ;
peculiar: Coming ASAP! ;
pedigree: Coming ASAP! ;
Peeping Tom: Coming ASAP! ;
philander, philanderer: Coming ASAP! ;
phoenix: Coming ASAP! ;
piano: Coming ASAP! ;
pleonasm: Coming ASAP! ;
procrastinate: Coming ASAP! ;
procrustean: Coming ASAP! ;
profane: Coming ASAP! ;
Pyrrhic victory: Coming ASAP! ;

Q

quixotic: Coming ASAP! ;
quiz: Coming ASAP! ;

R

redundancy: Coming ASAP! ;
republic: Coming ASAP! ;
right: Coming ASAP! ;
robot: Coming ASAP! ;

S

sadism: Coming ASAP! ;
salary: Coming ASAP! ;
sandwich: Coming ASAP! ;
sarcasm: Coming ASAP! ;
sincere: Coming ASAP! ;
siren: Coming ASAP! ;
somnambulist: Coming ASAP! ;
symposium: Coming ASAP! ;

T

taboo: Coming ASAP! ;
tantalize: Coming ASAP! ;
tattoo: Coming ASAP! ;
thug: Coming ASAP! ;
thunder: Coming ASAP! ;
tragedy: Coming ASAP! ;
trivial: Coming ASAP! ;

U

umbrella: Coming ASAP! ;
utopia: Coming ASAP! ;

V

vanilla: Coming ASAP! ;
ventriloquism: Coming ASAP! ;
vernacular: Coming ASAP! ;
virtue: Coming ASAP! ;
vocano: Coming ASAP! ;
volume: Coming ASAP! ;

W

welcome: Coming ASAP! ;
witch hazel: Coming ASAP! ;

X

x-ray: Coming ASAP! ;
xerophilous: Coming ASAP! ;

Y

yankee: Coming ASAP! ;

Z

zenith: Coming ASAP! ;
zodiac: Coming ASAP! ;
zoo: Coming ASAP! ;


English vocabulary word list clarifying confusing word combinations.

You may see the primary sources of the bibliographic information utilized for this list.





If you have any suggestions for words that you believe should be added to this list, then please send them to comments@wordquest.info as soon as possible. It is of particular interest that when you submit any written or audible media quotations, that you make sure to send your contributions with the names and dates of the sources; whenever possible.

You are also welcome to just send your suggestions without any particular quotation source.

 

One forgets words as one forgets names. One’s vocabulary needs constant fertilization or it will die.

—Evelyn Waugh, British novelist