English
etymologize
Etymologize comes from Old French ethimologie ‘etymology’, and goes back to Ancient Greek ἔτυμος ‘true, real, sure’.
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἔτυμοςétumos‘true, real, sure’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἐτῠμόλογοςetŭmólogos‘studying etymology’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἐτῠμολογῐ́ᾱetŭmologĭ́ā‘etymology’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEetymologia
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400ethimologie‘etymology’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500ethymologie‘the purported true, primordial and innate sense of a term’
- English1500–presentetymology
- Englishearliest quotation 2025etymologize
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἔτυμοςétumos‘true, real, sure’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἐτῠμόλογοςetŭmólogos‘studying etymology’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἐτῠμολογῐ́ᾱetŭmologĭ́ā‘etymology’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEetymologia
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400ethimologie‘etymology’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500ethymologie‘the purported true, primordial and innate sense of a term’
- English1500–presentetymology
- Englishearliest quotation 2025etymologize
Earliest quotation: 2025, Cid Swanenvleugel, The Pre-Roman Elements of the Sardinian Lexicon: “It has long been noted that the Sardinian toponymy…”
A compound of etymology + -ize
Proto-Indo-European *leǵ- ‘to gather, collect, with derivatives meaning…’
…
Ancient Greek ἐτῠμολογῐ́ᾱ
Latin etymologia
Old French ethimologie
Middle English ethymologie ‘the purported true, primordial and innate…’
English etymology
Every English word from Ancient Greek ἔτυμος
Today it means
verb To find or provide the etymology for a word.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Ancient Greek ἔτυμος / etymologize