The online etymology dictionary (etymonline) is the internet's go-to source for quick and reliable accounts of the origin and history of English words, phrases, and idioms. It is professional …

It is from Old French verbe "word; word of God; saying; part of speech that expresses action or being" (12c.) and directly from Latin verbum "verb," originally "a word."

"why, wherefore; indeed, surely, truly," from Proto-Germanic pronoun *hwat (source also… See origin and meaning of what.

Quick and reliable accounts of the origin and history of English words. Scholarly, yet simple.

Origin and history of of of (prep.) Old English of , unstressed form of æf (prep., adv.) "away, away from," from Proto-Germanic *af (source also of Old Norse af , Old Frisian af, of "of," Dutch af …

"facts of the origin and development of a word," from Old French etimologie, ethimologie… See origin and meaning of etymology.

"relation of incidents" (true or false), from Old French estoire, estorie "story;… See origin and meaning of history.

In Old English gospels, the commonest word for "the physical world," was Middangeard (Old Norse Midgard), literally "the middle enclosure" (see yard (n.1)), which is rooted in Germanic …

In Middle English a storier was a historian (early 14c. as a surname), storial (adj.) was "historically true, dealing with history," and a book of story was a history book. For the sense evolution …

2023年12月24日 · word of assent to a question, 1570s, of unknown origin; perhaps a variant of I, meaning "I assent;" or an alteration of Middle English yai "yes" (see yea); or from aye (adv.) …