Etymology is the study of the origin of words.
Subcategories 1
Related categories 3
Sites 23
- Word Quests for Word Seekers Searchable dictionary of word origins, organized in cross-referenced thematic lists by Latin and/or Greek roots. English entries are also defined.
- World Wide Words Michael Quinion writes about International English from a British viewpoint. Hundreds of pages on the history, origins, evolution and idiosyncrasies of English, with features on new words and words in the news.
- Richard Lederer's Verbivore Linguistic fun from, Richard Lederer, the best-selling author of The Word Circus and the new Sleeping Dogs Don't Lay, a helpful guide for grappling with vexing grammar questions.
- The Word Detective Words and language in a humorous vein. The online version of The Word Detective, a newspaper column answering readers' questions about words and language. Written by Evan Morris.
- Word Spy Collection of recently coined words, existing words that have enjoyed a recent Renaissance, and older words that are now being used in new ways.
- Online Etymology Dictionary History and evolution of more than 30,000 words, including slang and technical terms.
- MooT The game of grammar, semantics, and etymology. Play online the game that investigates the history and meaning of English words.
- The Phrase Finder The meanings and origins of thousands of English phrases and sayings. Also includes a discussion forum to ask a panel questions on the meaning and origin of phrases.
- Take Our Word for It Weekly etymology magazine.
- Etymologically Speaking A list of some curious word origins.
- American Dialect Society A scholarly association dedicated to the study of the English language in North America.
- Word and Phrase Origins Directory. Part of the Internet Public Library. Describes books and web sites that might be helpful. Offers a hint on how to use an ordinary search engine when looking for etymology.
- Exploring English Words Exploring English words that are derived from Latin and Greek sources with etymologies and vocabulary activities.
- Altaic Etymology Online database version of the Altaic Etymological Dictionary by S. Starostin, A. Dybo and O. Mudrak.
- A Comparative Dictionary of Indo-Aryan Languages Online version of the indexes of R.L. Turner's 1962-1985 dictionary from the Digital Dictionaries of South Asia.
- Clichés and Expressions Origins English language terms and expressions.
- Dave Wilton's Etymology Page Devoted to etymology of common words and slang phrases.
- Sayings and Everyday Expressions Your online source for the sayings and expressions you use everyday. Search for their meaning, history and origin, find sayings, expressions, phrases, quotations, cliches, unusual words, and wordplay.
- PrefixSuffix.com A reference for Greek, Latin, and other roots of the English language to help you better understand English, improve your vocabulary, score better on tests, and create new words such as for brand names. Also has free online vocabulary games.
- languagehat.com Erudite blog on word origins and definitions, with dozens of links to dictionaries, commentaries, linguistic reference sites, and personal favorites of the author.
- WyzAnt: Etymology Includes a searchable database of Latin and Greek roots and affixes, a free newsletter, and links to other sites.
- Words with Heathen Origins in the Scriptures An etymological study of numerous words used in churches and Scriptures that have their origin in pagan religions.
- Etymology Word origins and links.