Where words come from
Every word has a history. Trace it back through Old English, Latin, Greek, Old Norse and 394 other languages.
Today’s word stories
allocateFrom Latin allocātus, perfect passive participle of Latin allocō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from ad- (“to”) + locō.Read the story →alternativeFrom Middle French alternatif, from Medieval Latin alternātīvus (“alternating”), from the participle stem of Latin alternō (“interchange, alternate”).Read the story →appropriationFrom Middle English appropriacion, appropriacioun, from Medieval Latin appropriātiō.Read the story →carverFrom Middle English Carver, Kerver, Kervor, Kervour, Kervoure, Kervere, from Middle English carver, kervere (“carver, wood-cutter, sculptor”).Read the story →circularFrom Middle English circuler, circuleer, circulere, from Old French circulier (French circulaire), from Late Latin circularis, from Latin circulus, diminutive of circus (…Read the story →commenceFrom Middle English commencen, comencen (also as contracted comsen, cumsen), from Anglo-Norman comencer, from Vulgar Latin *cominitiāre, formed from Latin com- + initiō (…Read the story →complaintFrom Middle English compleynte, from Anglo-Norman compleint, from Old French compleindre, eventually from Latin planctus (whence plaint).Read the story →donationFrom Middle English donacion, donation, from Middle French donation, from Latin dōnātiō (“a present”), from dōnō (“to give”), from dōnum (“a gift”).Read the story →easternFrom Middle English esturne, esterne, from Old English ēasterne (“eastern”), from Proto-Germanic *austrōnijaz (“eastern”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ews-ro- (“eastern”)…Read the story →
Roots that built English
Ancient words with the most English descendantsOld Englishtūn58 English wordsOld Englishstan24 English wordsOld Englishham24 English wordsOld Norsebýr23 English wordsLatincaput21 English wordsAncient Greekχρόνος21 English wordsOld Englishburh20 English wordsAncient Greekπτερόν19 English wordsAncient Greekδάκτυλος19 English wordsWelshllan19 English wordsLatinalbus19 English wordsProto-Indo-European*ḱóm18 English wordsOld English*lang18 English wordsLatinoleum18 English wordsLatindens18 English wordsOld Englishbrom18 English wordsOld Englishbrād17 English wordsAncient Greekφόβος17 English wordsOld Englishleah17 English wordsOld Englishwudu17 English wordsOld Englishæsċ17 English wordsLatinfilum17 English wordsKoine GreekἸωάννα16 English wordsAncient Greekμέρος16 English words