Specialist dictionary

Greek and Latin origins

Terminology for classical roots and the Greek and Latin contribution to English.

Areas within Greek and Latin origins

Etymology

Core terminology for the history, development and derivation of words.

54 words

Roots and affixes

Vocabulary for roots, stems, prefixes, suffixes and combining forms.

65 words

Borrowing and loanwords

Terms for words borrowed, translated or adapted between languages.

108 words

Semantic change

Processes by which word meanings broaden, narrow, improve, deteriorate or shift.

63 words

Historical word formation

Compounding, derivation, clipping, blending, back-formation and other ways words arise.

107 words

Greek and Latin origins

Terminology for classical roots and the Greek and Latin contribution to English.

70 words

Germanic origins

Old English, Norse and wider Germanic contributions to English vocabulary.

56 words

French and Romance origins

French, Latin and Romance-language influence on English vocabulary.

26 words

Core vocabulary

73 featured terms

The database can contain more terms than shown here; this page prioritises the strongest mappings.

Adoptionnoun

the appropriation (of ideas or words etc.) from another source; "the borrowing of ancient motifs was very apparent"

Atticnoun

the dialect of Ancient Greek spoken and written in Attica and Athens and Ionia

Borrowingnoun

the appropriation (of ideas or words etc.) from another source; "the borrowing of ancient motifs was very apparent"

Classicaladjective

of or pertaining to or characteristic of the ancient Greeks and Romans, especially their art, literature, or culture; "classical mythology"; "th…

Classical Greeknoun

the dialect of Ancient Greek spoken and written in Attica and Athens and Ionia

Combinationnoun

the act of combining things to form a new whole

Combiningnoun

the act of combining things to form a new whole

Combining formnoun

a bound form used only in compounds; "‘hemato-’ is a combining form in words like ‘hematology’"

Compoundingnoun

the act of combining things to form a new whole

Descriptornoun

the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something; "the inflected forms of a wor…

Eruditeadjective

having or showing profound knowledge; "a learned jurist"; "an erudite professor"

formnoun

the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something; "the inflected forms of a wor…

Graeco-Romanadjective

of or pertaining to or characteristic of the ancient Greeks and Romans, especially their art, literature, or culture; "classical mythology"; "th…

Greco-Romanadjective

of or pertaining to or characteristic of the ancient Greeks and Romans, especially their art, literature, or culture; "classical mythology"; "th…

Greeknoun

the Greek language as spoken and written today

Hellenicadjective

relating to or characteristic of the classical Greek civilization

Hellenisticadjective

relating to or characteristic of the classical Greek civilization

Hellenisticaladjective

relating to or characteristic of the classical Greek civilization

Ionicnoun

the dialect of Ancient Greek spoken and written in Attica and Athens and Ionia

Ionic dialectnoun

the dialect of Ancient Greek spoken and written in Attica and Athens and Ionia

Latinadjective

of or relating to the ancient Latins or the Latin language; "Latin verb conjugations"

Learnedadjective

having or showing profound knowledge; "a learned jurist"; "an erudite professor"

Modern Greeknoun

the Greek language as spoken and written today

Modern Greek languagenoun

the Greek language as spoken and written today

New Greeknoun

the Greek language as spoken and written today

New Greek languagenoun

the Greek language as spoken and written today

Romanadjective

of or relating to or derived from Rome (especially ancient Rome); "Roman architecture"; "the old Roman wall"

Romanicadjective

of or relating to or derived from Rome (especially ancient Rome); "Roman architecture"; "the old Roman wall"

Rootverb

take root and begin to grow; "this plant roots quickly"

Signifiernoun

the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something; "the inflected forms of a wor…

Word formnoun

the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something; "the inflected forms of a wor…

Basenoun