Word histories
33 English words traced back to where they started. Each page shows the earliest printed uses we could find, what the old dictionaries said, and how many people know the word today.
From Arabic
alcoholAlcohol meant eye powder before it meant a drink.99.8% of people know italgebraAlgebra comes from the Arabic al-jabr, “restoring”.98.9% of people know itassassinAssassin probably comes from an Arabic word for hashish users, but it began as an insult and no source shows the Assassins were drugged.99.8% of people know itzenithZenith comes from the Arabic samt, “way”, and the m may have been misread as ni.92.0% of people know ithazardHazard was a dice game in Old French before it meant danger.99.0% of people know it
From India and Persia
Named after a person, a god or a city
Coined by someone we can name
Popular stories that don’t hold up
salarySalary comes from Latin salarium, built on the word for salt.99.0% of people know itsabotageSabotage comes from French saboter, which first meant to clatter in wooden shoes and then to bungle.99.0% of people know itassassinAssassin probably comes from an Arabic word for hashish users, but it began as an insult and no source shows the Assassins were drugged.99.8% of people know itpanicPanic is named for the Greek god Pan.99.8% of people know itnightmareA nightmare is not a night horse.99.5% of people know it
Illness and the mind
nostalgiaNostalgia was made up in Basel in 1688 as a medical name for homesickness.99.3% of people know itvaccineVaccine comes from Latin vacca, cow, because the first one was made from cowpox.99.3% of people know itquarantineQuarantine comes from Italian quaranta, forty.98.7% of people know itlunaticLunatic means moonstruck.99.3% of people know it
Fear and the night
Insults with a past
idiotIdiot began as the Greek word for a private person with no public role.98.8% of people know itvillainA villain was a farmhand before he was a criminal.98.2% of people know ithypocriteHypocrite is the Greek word for a stage actor.99.5% of people know itthugThug first meant a cheat.99.2% of people know itlunaticLunatic means moonstruck.99.3% of people know it
Work and money
salarySalary comes from Latin salarium, built on the word for salt.99.0% of people know itmortgageMortgage is Old French for a dead pledge.99.0% of people know itsabotageSabotage comes from French saboter, which first meant to clatter in wooden shoes and then to bungle.99.0% of people know itrobotRobot comes from Czech robota, forced labor.99.5% of people know itamateurLatin amator means lover: an amateur does it for love.99.4% of people know itlootLoot is Hindi for plunder. British soldiers brought the word home from India.98.9% of people know it
Food, drink and clothes
avocadoAvocado began as a Nahuatl word, and an English merchant wrote it down in 1572.99.2% of people know italcoholAlcohol meant eye powder before it meant a drink.99.8% of people know itcompanionA companion is someone you share bread with.99.7% of people know itjeansJeans are named after Genoa, which English once called Gene.99.3% of people know itpajamasPajamas began as trousers worn in India, and the word means “leg garment” in Persian.95.3% of people know it
Once meant something else
niceNice comes from a Latin word for “not knowing”.100.0% of people know itvillainA villain was a farmhand before he was a criminal.98.2% of people know itidiotIdiot began as the Greek word for a private person with no public role.98.8% of people know ithypocriteHypocrite is the Greek word for a stage actor.99.5% of people know itquarantineQuarantine comes from Italian quaranta, forty.98.7% of people know italcoholAlcohol meant eye powder before it meant a drink.99.8% of people know italgebraAlgebra comes from the Arabic al-jabr, “restoring”.98.9% of people know itpupilA pupil was a little orphan in someone’s care before it was a child in a classroom.100.0% of people know itthugThug first meant a cheat.99.2% of people know it
From Greek
hypocriteHypocrite is the Greek word for a stage actor.99.5% of people know itidiotIdiot began as the Greek word for a private person with no public role.98.8% of people know itpanicPanic is named for the Greek god Pan.99.8% of people know itsarcasmSarcasm comes from a Greek verb for gnashing your teeth.98.9% of people know itsophomoreSophomore was helped along by Greek sophos, wise, and moros, fool.98.6% of people know itnostalgiaNostalgia was made up in Basel in 1688 as a medical name for homesickness.99.3% of people know itmentorMentor was a minor character in the Odyssey.100.0% of people know it
From Latin
amateurLatin amator means lover: an amateur does it for love.99.4% of people know itambitionAmbition was a going around. Roman candidates walked the streets asking for votes.100.0% of people know itcandidateCandidate means clothed in white. Roman office seekers bleached their togas to look clean.99.8% of people know itcompanionA companion is someone you share bread with.99.7% of people know itpupilA pupil was a little orphan in someone’s care before it was a child in a classroom.100.0% of people know itsalarySalary comes from Latin salarium, built on the word for salt.99.0% of people know itlunaticLunatic means moonstruck.99.3% of people know itvaccineVaccine comes from Latin vacca, cow, because the first one was made from cowpox.99.3% of people know itvillainA villain was a farmhand before he was a criminal.98.2% of people know itniceNice comes from a Latin word for “not knowing”.100.0% of people know it
alcoholAlcohol meant eye powder before it meant a drink.99.8% of people know italgebraAlgebra comes from the Arabic al-jabr, “restoring”.98.9% of people know itamateurLatin amator means lover: an amateur does it for love.99.4% of people know itambitionAmbition was a going around. Roman candidates walked the streets asking for votes.100.0% of people know itassassinAssassin probably comes from an Arabic word for hashish users, but it began as an insult and no source shows the Assassins were drugged.99.8% of people know itavocadoAvocado began as a Nahuatl word, and an English merchant wrote it down in 1572.99.2% of people know itboycottBoycott is a surname.99.2% of people know itcandidateCandidate means clothed in white. Roman office seekers bleached their togas to look clean.99.8% of people know itcompanionA companion is someone you share bread with.99.7% of people know ithazardHazard was a dice game in Old French before it meant danger.99.0% of people know ithypocriteHypocrite is the Greek word for a stage actor.99.5% of people know itidiotIdiot began as the Greek word for a private person with no public role.98.8% of people know itjeansJeans are named after Genoa, which English once called Gene.99.3% of people know itlootLoot is Hindi for plunder. British soldiers brought the word home from India.98.9% of people know itlunaticLunatic means moonstruck.99.3% of people know itmentorMentor was a minor character in the Odyssey.100.0% of people know itmortgageMortgage is Old French for a dead pledge.99.0% of people know itniceNice comes from a Latin word for “not knowing”.100.0% of people know itnightmareA nightmare is not a night horse.99.5% of people know itnostalgiaNostalgia was made up in Basel in 1688 as a medical name for homesickness.99.3% of people know itpajamasPajamas began as trousers worn in India, and the word means “leg garment” in Persian.95.3% of people know itpanicPanic is named for the Greek god Pan.99.8% of people know itpupilA pupil was a little orphan in someone’s care before it was a child in a classroom.100.0% of people know itquarantineQuarantine comes from Italian quaranta, forty.98.7% of people know itrobotRobot comes from Czech robota, forced labor.99.5% of people know itsabotageSabotage comes from French saboter, which first meant to clatter in wooden shoes and then to bungle.99.0% of people know itsalarySalary comes from Latin salarium, built on the word for salt.99.0% of people know itsarcasmSarcasm comes from a Greek verb for gnashing your teeth.98.9% of people know itsophomoreSophomore was helped along by Greek sophos, wise, and moros, fool.98.6% of people know itthugThug first meant a cheat.99.2% of people know itvaccineVaccine comes from Latin vacca, cow, because the first one was made from cowpox.99.3% of people know itvillainA villain was a farmhand before he was a criminal.98.2% of people know itzenithZenith comes from the Arabic samt, “way”, and the m may have been misread as ni.92.0% of people know it
zenithZenith comes from the Arabic samt, “way”, and the m may have been misread as ni.92.0% of people know itpajamasPajamas began as trousers worn in India, and the word means “leg garment” in Persian.95.3% of people know itvillainA villain was a farmhand before he was a criminal.98.2% of people know itsophomoreSophomore was helped along by Greek sophos, wise, and moros, fool.98.6% of people know itquarantineQuarantine comes from Italian quaranta, forty.98.7% of people know itidiotIdiot began as the Greek word for a private person with no public role.98.8% of people know itsarcasmSarcasm comes from a Greek verb for gnashing your teeth.98.9% of people know itlootLoot is Hindi for plunder. British soldiers brought the word home from India.98.9% of people know italgebraAlgebra comes from the Arabic al-jabr, “restoring”.98.9% of people know itmortgageMortgage is Old French for a dead pledge.99.0% of people know itsalarySalary comes from Latin salarium, built on the word for salt.99.0% of people know itsabotageSabotage comes from French saboter, which first meant to clatter in wooden shoes and then to bungle.99.0% of people know ithazardHazard was a dice game in Old French before it meant danger.99.0% of people know itboycottBoycott is a surname.99.2% of people know itavocadoAvocado began as a Nahuatl word, and an English merchant wrote it down in 1572.99.2% of people know itthugThug first meant a cheat.99.2% of people know itnostalgiaNostalgia was made up in Basel in 1688 as a medical name for homesickness.99.3% of people know itlunaticLunatic means moonstruck.99.3% of people know itvaccineVaccine comes from Latin vacca, cow, because the first one was made from cowpox.99.3% of people know itjeansJeans are named after Genoa, which English once called Gene.99.3% of people know itamateurLatin amator means lover: an amateur does it for love.99.4% of people know ithypocriteHypocrite is the Greek word for a stage actor.99.5% of people know itnightmareA nightmare is not a night horse.99.5% of people know itrobotRobot comes from Czech robota, forced labor.99.5% of people know itcompanionA companion is someone you share bread with.99.7% of people know itpanicPanic is named for the Greek god Pan.99.8% of people know itassassinAssassin probably comes from an Arabic word for hashish users, but it began as an insult and no source shows the Assassins were drugged.99.8% of people know italcoholAlcohol meant eye powder before it meant a drink.99.8% of people know itcandidateCandidate means clothed in white. Roman office seekers bleached their togas to look clean.99.8% of people know itambitionAmbition was a going around. Roman candidates walked the streets asking for votes.100.0% of people know itmentorMentor was a minor character in the Odyssey.100.0% of people know itniceNice comes from a Latin word for “not knowing”.100.0% of people know itpupilA pupil was a little orphan in someone’s care before it was a child in a classroom.100.0% of people know it