ELSC 103 – HISTORY OF THE
ENGLISH LANGUAGE
NAME: _______________________________________
ETYMOLOGY STUDIES
List of the origins of English words, their roots in other languages, and their
meanings (Latin, French, Germanic languages).
GERMANIC ORIGINS
Germanic Languages/Old English
1. Bread (Old English)
• English Word: Bread
• Meaning: A staple food made of flour and baked.
2. Cyning (Old English)
• English Word: King
• Meaning: A male ruler of an independent state.
3. Dæg (Old English)
• English Word: Day
• Meaning: A 24-hour period.
4. Fæder (Old English)
• English Word: Father
• Meaning: A male parent.
5. Hūs (Old English)
• English Word: House
• Meaning: A building for human habitation.
6. Wif (Old English)
• English Word: Wife
• Meaning: A married woman.
7. Rīce (Old English)
• English Word: Rich
• Meaning: Having a great deal of wealth or resources.
8. Sēoc (Old English)
• English Word: Sick
• Meaning: Affected by illness.
9. Stōl (Old English)
• English Word: Stool
• Meaning: A simple seat without a back or arms.
10. Wyrm (Old English)
ELSC 103 – HISTORY OF THE
ENGLISH LANGUAGE
• English Word: Worm
• Meaning: A small, soft-bodied invertebrate animal.
LATIN ORIGINS
1. Amabilis (Latin)
• English Word: Amiable
• Meaning: Friendly or pleasant.
2. Aqua (Latin)
• English Word: Aquatic
• Meaning: Related to water.
3. Beneficium (Latin)
• English Word: Benefit
• Meaning: An advantage or profit gained.
4. Civitas (Latin)
• English Word: City
• Meaning: A large town or urban settlement.
5. Corpus (Latin)
• English Word: Corpse
• Meaning: A dead body.
6. Datum (Latin)
• English Word: Data
• Meaning: Facts and statistics collected for reference.
7. Doctor (Latin)
• English Word: Doctor
• Meaning: A qualified practitioner of medicine or someone with a
doctorate degree.
8. Educare (Latin)
• English Word: Educate
• Meaning: To provide instruction or knowledge.
9. Facere (Latin)
• English Word: Factory
• Meaning: A place where goods are made.
10. Gloria (Latin)
• English Word: Glory
• Meaning: Great honor or praise.
ELSC 103 – HISTORY OF THE
ENGLISH LANGUAGE
11. Honor (Latin)
• English Word: Honor
• Meaning: High respect or esteem.
12. Laborare (Latin)
• English Word: Labor
• Meaning: Work, especially physical effort.
13. Legere (Latin)
• English Word: Legible
• Meaning: Able to be read or understood.
14. Liber (Latin)
• English Word: Library
• Meaning: A collection of books or a place to borrow books.
15. Magnus (Latin)
• English Word: Magnify
• Meaning: To make something appear larger.
16. Malus (Latin)
• English Word: Malice
• Meaning: The intention to do harm.
17. Mater (Latin)
• English Word: Maternal
• Meaning: Related to motherhood.
18. Mens (Latin)
• English Word: Mental
• Meaning: Related to the mind.
19. Mortis (Latin)
• English Word: Mortal
• Meaning: Subject to death.
20. Natura (Latin)
• English Word: Nature
• Meaning: The phenomena of the physical world.
21. Nomen (Latin)
• English Word: Nominal
• Meaning: In name only, not real or actual.
22. Novus (Latin)
• English Word: Novel
ELSC 103 – HISTORY OF THE
ENGLISH LANGUAGE
• Meaning: New or original.
23. Pater (Latin)
• English Word: Paternal
• Meaning: Related to fatherhood.
24. Portare (Latin)
• English Word: Portable
• Meaning: Able to be carried or moved easily.
25. Scribere (Latin)
• English Word: Scribble
• Meaning: To write quickly and carelessly.
26. Senex (Latin)
• English Word: Senile
• Meaning: Showing signs of old age, especially mental decline.
27. Sentire (Latin)
• English Word: Sense
• Meaning: A faculty by which the body perceives an external
stimulus.
28. Sol (Latin)
• English Word: Solar
• Meaning: Related to the sun.
29. Tempus (Latin)
• English Word: Temporal
• Meaning: Related to time or worldly affairs.
30. Vita (Latin)
• English Word: Vital
• Meaning: Absolutely necessary or important; essential.
FRENCH ORIGINS
French (30 words)
1. Aventure (French)
• English Word: Adventure
• Meaning: An exciting or unusual experience.
2. Beauté (French)
ELSC 103 – HISTORY OF THE
ENGLISH LANGUAGE
• English Word: Beauty
• Meaning: The quality of being pleasing to the senses.
3. Ballet (French)
• English Word: Ballet
• Meaning: A classical form of dance.
4. Carte (French)
• English Word: Cart
• Meaning: A vehicle with wheels used for transporting goods.
5. Chauffeur (French)
• English Word: Chauffeur
• Meaning: A person employed to drive a private car.
6. Cuisine (French)
• English Word: Cuisine
• Meaning: A style of cooking or food preparation.
7. Déjà vu (French)
• English Word: Déjà vu
• Meaning: The feeling that one has lived through the present
situation before.
8. Éclair (French)
• English Word: Éclair
• Meaning: A pastry filled with cream and topped with icing.
9. Entrepreneur (French)
• English Word: Entrepreneur
• Meaning: A person who organizes and operates a business.
10. Façade (French)
• English Word: Façade
• Meaning: The front of a building, or a deceptive outward
appearance.
11. Genre (French)
• English Word: Genre
• Meaning: A category of artistic composition.
12. Habiter (French)
• English Word: Habitat
• Meaning: The natural home or environment of an animal, plant, or
other organism.
13. Hôtel (French)
ELSC 103 – HISTORY OF THE
ENGLISH LANGUAGE
• English Word: Hotel
• Meaning: A place offering accommodation and meals to travelers.
14. Jolie (French)
• English Word: Jolly
• Meaning: Happy and cheerful.
15. Jour (French)
• English Word: Journey
• Meaning: Traveling from one place to another.
16. Laisser (French)
• English Word: Lease
• Meaning: A contract to use property for a period of time in
exchange for payment.
17. Liberté (French)
• English Word: Liberty
• Meaning: Freedom from oppression or control.
18. Magasin (French)
• English Word: Magazine
• Meaning: A publication with articles and illustrations.
19. Merveilleux (French)
• English Word: Marvelous
• Meaning: Causing great wonder or amazement.
20. Montagne (French)
• English Word: Mountain
• Meaning: A large natural elevation of the earth’s surface.
21. Nouveau (French)
• English Word: Novel
• Meaning: New or original.
22. Ouvrir (French)
• English Word: Overture
• Meaning: An introduction to something more substantial.
23. Passer (French)
• English Word: Passage
• Meaning: A section of written work, or a journey from one place to
another.
24. Queue (French)
• English Word: Queue
ELSC 103 – HISTORY OF THE
ENGLISH LANGUAGE
• Meaning: A line of people or vehicles waiting their turn.
25. Rendezvous (French)
• English Word: Rendezvous
• Meaning: A meeting at an agreed time and place.
26. Risquer (French)
• English Word: Risk
• Meaning: A situation involving exposure to danger.
27. Souverain (French)
• English Word: Sovereign
• Meaning: A supreme ruler, especially a monarch.
28. Tour (French)
• English Word: Tour
• Meaning: A journey or visit to a place.
29. Vérité (French)
• English Word: Verity
• Meaning: The quality of being true.
30. Voyage (French)
• English Word: Voyage
• Meaning: A long journey, typically by sea or in space.
