English word why comes from Proto-Indo-European interrogative roots *kʷ-, *kʷe-, *kʷo-, and later Proto-Germanic *hwī (how, with what, by what means)
Detailed word origin of why
Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
---|---|---|
*kʷ- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | Primary interrogative root in Indo-European |
*kʷe- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | |
*kʷo- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | |
*kʷód, kʷod | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | |
*hwī | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | How, with what, by what means;. |
*kʷís | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | Who, what (interrogative). Who, which, that (relative) Which, what. |
*hwē | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | How, with what, by what means;. |
hwā | Old English (ca. 450-1100) (ang) | |
hwī | Old English (ca. 450-1100) (ang) | |
why | Middle English (1100-1500) (enm) | |
why | English (eng) | An exclamation used to express indignation, mild surprise, or impatience. «Well, I’ll tell you…». Reason For what cause, reason, or purpose.. Introducing a complete question.. Introducing a noun or other phrase.. Introducing a verb phrase (bare infinitive clause). |
Words with the same origin as why
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[ wahy, hwahy ]
/ waɪ, ʰwaɪ /
See synonyms for: why / whys on Thesaurus.com
This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.
adverb
for what? for what reason, cause, or purpose?: Why did you behave so badly?
conjunction
for what cause or reason: I don’t know why he is leaving.
for which; on account of which (usually after reason to introduce a relative clause): the reason why he refused to go.
the reason for which: That is why he returned.
noun, plural whys.
a question concerning the cause or reason for which something is done, achieved, etc.: a child’s unending hows and whys.
the cause or reason: the whys and wherefores of a troublesome situation.
interjection
(used as an expression of surprise, hesitation, etc., or sometimes a mere expletive): Why, it’s all gone!
QUIZ
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Origin of why
before 900; Middle English; Old English hwī, hwȳ, instrumental case of hwætwhat; cognate with Old Norse hvī
usage note for why
Words nearby why
whsle., whs. stk., whump, whup, WH-word, why, Whyalla, whydah, whydunnit, why’ll, why’re
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Words related to why
How to use why in a sentence
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I mean, even Ron Fournier of National Journal, usually devoted to the pox-on-both-houses, why-can’t-Obama-lead?
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DB: Why/how does Credit Suisse feel like a good fit for you?
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Ferguson reverses those emphases—focusing solely on this historic meltdown, the who/what/where/why/how.
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Till now one with sudden hiss: «But-good Christ-just look-why, the roof’s leaning—!»
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And what is it that brings disaster on those who employ the phalanx?Why the phalanx fails.
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It needed a beefy person with fat legs and a large amount of inexplicable dignity, a regular God-knows-why loftiness.
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Weren’t they as good as gold this morning, Emily?and yesterday!why they never murmured, as good as gold they were.
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Like other sharp children, Why—Why was always asking metaphysical conundrums.
British Dictionary definitions for why
adverb
- for what reason, purpose, or cause?why are you here?
- (used in indirect questions)tell me why you’re here
pronoun
for or because of whichthere is no reason why he shouldn’t come
noun plural whys
(usually plural) the reason, purpose, or cause of something (esp in the phrase the whys and wherefores)
interjection
an introductory expression of surprise, disagreement, indignation, etcwhy, don’t be silly!
Word Origin for why
Old English hwī; related to Old Norse hvī, Gothic hveileiks what kind of, Latin quī
Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
What kind of word is why?
As detailed above, ‘why’ can be an adverb, an interjection, a noun or a conjunction. Adverb usage: Why did you do that? Interjection usage: Why, I think it would work fine! Noun usage: A good article will cover the who, the what, the when, the where, the why and the how.
What is the definition of the word Why?
1 : the cause, reason, or purpose for which know why you did it that is why you did it. 2 : for which : on account of which know the reason why you did it. why. noun. plural whys.
Is why a noun or verb?
noun, plural whys. a question concerning the cause or reason for which something is done, achieved, etc.: a child’s unending hows and whys. the cause or reason: the whys and wherefores of a troublesome situation. (used as an expression of surprise, hesitation, etc., or sometimes a mere expletive): Why, it’s all gone!
What is the origin of the word Why?
Old English hwæt, referring to things in abstraction; also “why, wherefore; indeed, surely, truly,” from Proto-Germanic pronoun *hwat (source also of Old Saxon hwat, Old Norse. Corresponding to Latin quid. Meaning “what did you say?” is recorded from c. 1300.
How do you use the word Why?
You use why to introduce a relative clause after the word ‘reason’. There’s a reason why women don’t read this stuff; it’s not funny. Unless you’re ill, there’s no reason why you can’t get those 15 minutes of walking in daily. Why is also an adverb.
What is the Malayalam of why?
IPA: waɪMalayalam: വാഇ / ഹ്വാഇ
What is the purpose and reason?
That is the similarity. This is the difference: Purpose is the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists while Reason is a cause, explanation or justification for an action or event. Side bar: It is more appropriate to say “The reason for blah is blahblah”.
What is a why question?
“Why” is the question that really exposes purpose (the reason why something exists or is done). How many times do you set off to do something, and if you aren’t stopped and asked, “Why are you doing this?” you don’t really know the answer.
How do you ask why questions?
Ask direct questions in a way that implies an indirect intention for asking. For example, if you intend to show that you’re simply curious about the answer, ask it the same way you would ask, “Why do centipedes have 100 legs but millipedes have 1000?”
Is why and reason the same thing?
In general, these two words have similar meanings, so we can use them interchangeably in some cases. These words serve as both nouns and verbs. Moreover, we use cause and reason to explain why something happened.
Is purpose and why the same?
PURPOSE: You have to accomplish something , To achieve what you want or goal (It’s Your PURPOSE) that is for something you need or your want. it has something deep reason and idea within it.. REASON: Is just an explanation for something you have done or cause of a thing.
Is purpose same with reason?
That is the similarity. This is the difference: Purpose is the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists while Reason is a cause, explanation or justification for an action or event.
Is reason why a correct English?
The phrase reason why is not correct. Since the word reason itself explains the question why, it becomes unnecessary to avoid using the latter after the former. This is just like how people say discuss about, which too uses the preposition unnecessarily.
Can I use reason why in a sentence?
The reason why they got married is they love each other. The reason that they got married is they love each other. The reason they got married is they love each other. The reason why they got married is because they love each other.
Is the reason why proper English?
Reason why is not only not ungrammatical or harmlessly redundant, but it’s a legitimately correct and fully grammatical construction.
Why is reason incorrect?
The noun “reason” in this usage means “cause” or “the thing that makes some fact intelligible,” Merriam-Webster’s says. “Reason” in this sense, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is commonly used with “why,” “that,” “for,” or an infinitive. So all of these uses are correct: (1) “The reason we left early …”
Is it incorrect to say the reason why?
“The reason is because” has no supporters, but “the reason why,” despite also being idiomatic, is ubiquitous even among highly respected writers. Yes, “the reason why” and “the reason is because” are redundant — guilty as charged.
Is the reason why formal?
Reason that is less common and slightly more formal than reason why: The reason (that) we need new guidelines is that the present ones are just not working.
- Dictionary
- W
- Why
Transcription
-
- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- UK Pronunciation
- UK IPA
-
- [hwahy, wahy]
- /ʰwaɪ, waɪ/
- /waɪ/
-
- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
-
- [hwahy, wahy]
- /ʰwaɪ, waɪ/
Definitions of why word
- adverb why for what? for what reason, cause, or purpose?: Why did you behave so badly? 1
- noun plural why a question concerning the cause or reason for which something is done, achieved, etc.: a child’s unending hows and whys. 1
- noun plural why the cause or reason: the whys and wherefores of a troublesome situation. 1
- noun why (with reference to a reason) On account of which; for which. 1
- interjection why explain 1
- adverb why for what reason? 1
Information block about the term
Origin of why
First appearance:
before 900
One of the 4% oldest English words
before 900; Middle English; Old English hwī, hwȳ, instrumental case of hwæt what; cognate with Old Norse hvī
Historical Comparancy
Parts of speech for Why
why popularity
A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 91% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between «mom» and «screwdriver».
Synonyms for why
adverb why
- wherefore — Archaic. for what? why?
noun why
- reason — a basis or cause, as for some belief, action, fact, event, etc.: the reason for declaring war.
- cause — a person or thing that acts, happens, or exists in such a way that some specific thing happens as a result; the producer of an effect: You have been the cause of much anxiety. What was the cause of the accident?
- motive — something that causes a person to act in a certain way, do a certain thing, etc.; incentive.
- mystery — anything that is kept secret or remains unexplained or unknown: the mysteries of nature.
- proof — evidence sufficient to establish a thing as true, or to produce belief in its truth.
Top questions with why
- why is there a leap day?
- why?
- why is the sky blue?
- super why?
- why so serious?
- why is my poop green?
- why is caillou bald?
- why did i get married?
- why do cats purr?
- why do dogs eat grass?
- why not both?
- i know why the caged bird sings?
- why am i so tired?
- why are firetrucks red?
- why are flags at half mast today?
See also
- All definitions of why
- Synonyms for why
- Sentences with the word why
- Words that rhyme with why
- why pronunciation
- The plural of why
Matching words
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- Words ending with why
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- Words containing the letters w,h,y
- Words containing w
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Asked
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Possible Duplicate:
Where does the use of “why” as an interjection come from?
This is a common English phrase that I’m sure everyone has heard before.
However, I find it puzzling that the phrase begins with «why» but isn’t a question and doesn’t end with a question mark.
If there is any story or explanation behind this, I would love to know.
asked May 27, 2012 at 1:49
1
This is what we call a “General Reference” question around here. It’s simply because why can be used as an interjection. Any good dictionary should have told you that. Here’s what the OED says about this sense of why:
7. Used interjectionally, before a sentence or clause.
- a. As an expression of surprise (sometimes only momentary or slight; sometimes involving protest), either in reply to a remark or question, or on perceiving something unexpected.
- ?1520 J. Rastell Nature .iiii. Elem. sig. Bvij, Than I perceyue ye wyll make gode chere Hu. why what shulde I els do?
- 1581 Confer. with Campion (1583) C iij, Why, is not Saint Iames Epistle called the Catholike Epistle of Saint Iames. How do you then denie it to be Canonicall?
- 1600 Shakespeare Much Ado about Nothing ɪᴠ. ii. 39 Why this is flat periurie, to call a Princes brother villaine.
- 1600 Shakespeare Much Ado about Nothing ᴠ. iv. 74 Bene. Do not you loue me? Beat. Why no, no more then reason.
- 1611 Bible (A.V.) Matt. xxvii. 23 They all sayde vnto him, Let him be crucified. And the Gouernour said, Why, what euil hath he done?
- 1712 R. Steele Spectator No. 533. ⁋1 What do I think? why, I think she cannot be above six foot two inches high.
- 1779 J. Warner in J. H. Jesse G. Selwyn & his Contemp. (1844) IV. 274 What was I to do in this more than Egyptian darkness? Why, go to bed. Very true.
- 1837 Dickens Pickwick Papers xxxviii. 417 ‘Goodness gracious!’ said Mary,‥ ‘Why it’s that very house.’
- 1847 T. De Quincey Secret Societies in Tait’s Edinb. Mag. Oct. 667/1 Were there no such people as the Essenes? Why, no; not as Josephus described them.
- 1863 C. Kingsley Water-babies iii. 103 And, as he spoke, he turned quite pale, and then quite white. ‘Why, you’re ill!’ said Tom.
- 1893 M. Pemberton Iron Pirate i, Mary looked up suddenly‥and said,‥‘Why, I believe I’ve been asleep!’
- b. Emphasizing or calling more or less abrupt attention to the statement following (as in the apodosis of a sentence), in opposition to a possible or vaguely apprehended doubt or objection.
- 1545 T. Raynald tr. E. Roesslin Byrth of Mankynde 90 When she feleth greate ache in the inner parte of the eyes‥, yᵉ reste of the body taken as it were with a werynesse without any outwarde apparent cause: why these thynges portende‥aborcement to be at hande.
- 1590 T. Lodge Rosalynde (1592) N 2 b, And to conceale it, why it doubled her griefe.
- 1594 1st Pt. Contention ɪɪ. i, Why let me see, I thinke thou canst not see yet.
- a1596 Sir T. More (Malone Soc.) ɪ. i. 122 Take an honest woman from her husband! why, it is intollerable.
- 1604 Shakespeare Hamlet ɪ. ii. 121 Ham. I shall in all my best obay you Madam. King. Why tis a louing and a faire reply.
- 1604 Shakespeare Hamlet ɪɪɪ. ii. 259 Why let the strooken Deere goe weepe, The Hart vngauled play.
- a1616 Shakespeare Two Gentlemen of Verona ɪɪɪ (1623) ɪ. i. 33 If hap’ly won, perhaps a haplesse gaine, If lost, why then a grieuous labour won.
- 1647 A. Cowley Request in Mistress iii, If her chill heart I cannot move, Why, I’le enjoy the very Love.
- 1719 Swift Quiet Life in Wks. (1735) II. 351 Why Dick, thy Wife has dev’lish whims.
- 1769 O. Goldsmith Rom. Hist. I. 439 If you will have Caesar for your master, why have him.
- 1841 Dickens Old Curiosity Shop ɪ. i. 42 ‘A long way, wasn’t it, Kit?’‥ ‘Why then, it was a goodish stretch, master,’ returned Kit.
- 1863 C. Kingsley Water-babies iii. 103 If she chooses to come, why she * may; and if not, why I go without her.
- 1869 G. J. Whyte-Melville Songs & Verses 93 So he made for the gate,‥And the chain being round it, why—over he flew!
- 1882 W. Besant All Sorts of Men II. xxiii. 139 ‘Not a doubt,’ added the Professor. ‘Why, it stands to reason.’
- †c. As an emphasized call or summons, expressing some degree of impatience. Obs.
- 1599 Shakespeare Romeo & Juliet ɪᴠ. iv. 29 Mistris, what mistris, Iuliet‥Why Lambe, why Lady, fie you sluggabed, Why Loue I say‥why Bride.
- 1600 Shakespeare Merchant of Venice ɪɪ. v. 6 What Iessica.‥ Why Iessica I say.
- 1600 Shakespeare Henry IV, Pt. 2 ᴠ. i. 6 What Dauy I say.‥ Why Dauy.
- †d. why, so! an expression of content, acquiescence, or relief. Obs. or arch.
- 1597 Shakespeare Richard II ɪɪ. ii. 87 Seruingman. My Lord, your son was gone before I came. Yorke. He was; why so go all which way it will.
- a1616 Shakespeare Taming of Shrew (1623) iv. iii. 194 Pet.‥It shall be what a clock I say it is. Hor. Why so this gallant will command the sunne.
- a1616 Shakespeare Macbeth (1623) ɪɪɪ. iv. 106 Hence, horrible shadow.‥[Ghost vanishes.] Why, so, being gone, I am a man againe.
- 1826 Scott Woodstock I. iii. 65 If you will have the things rendered even now, why so—and if not, hold me blameless.
answered May 27, 2012 at 2:13
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The word has been known since before 900 AD from the Old Norse
‘hvi’, adopted as an Old English word spelt ‘hwi’
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Ah, etiquette, our old foe. If you’ve ever heard someone say “why, thank you”, you may find it a tad confusing. “Why” is a question, is it not?
Well, your confusion ends here, friend! We’re about to explain the meaning of this rather old-fashioned phrase.
The phrase “why, thank you” is an expression of gratitude coupled with an expression of surprise. The “why” in this phrase is an interjection and implies that the speaker was not expecting the compliment. This use of the word “why” in this context developed during Victorian times.
“Why, thank you” developed in Victorian times, potentially because this is a more coy and less abrupt way to express thanks. It is best suited for when the speaker is receiving a compliment or flattery of some kind:
- Person 1: You look absolutely stunning this evening!
- Person 2: Why, thank you, my lady!
As you can see, the “why” indicates that the speaker was not expecting the compliment. This phrase is less suitable when you’re anticipating a remark or action from someone else:
- Person 1: I took your dress to the seamstress like you asked.
- Person 2: Thank you.
In this example, Person 2 is thanking Person 1 for carrying out a request. Therefore, they are not surprised to hear that their request was carried out, but they are grateful, nonetheless.
Merriam-Webster identifies the word “why” as an interjection “used to express mild surprise, hesitation, approval, disapproval, or impatience”. As far as pronunciation goes, the “why” is pronounced the same way as the interrogative version of this word.
Is “Why, Thank You” Flirty?
In speech, flirtatiousness is achieved more by tone than by choice of words. There’s, therefore, no reason why “why, thank you” can’t be said flirtatiously at times.
However, it has been suggested that, since this phrase developed in Victorian times, the “why” was most likely used to come across as coy rather than outwardly flirtatious.
Victorian women had it rough, so we’re clear! They had to meet high standards of modesty and most flirtation took place through euphemism. If a Victorian woman received flattery or a compliment, she’d make use of this interjection to express bashfulness and humility.
Nevertheless, when a girl says “why, thank you”, particularly in modern times, whether she is being flirty depends greatly on how she says it, rather than the fact that she’s saying it at all:
- Person 1: Dinner was excellent!
- Person 2: Why, thank you, sir! It’s my mother’s recipe.
- Person 1: You look very handsome tonight.
- Person 2: Why, thank you very much.
- Person 1: Your singing is fantastic, truly.
- Person 2: Why, thank you, ma’am.
Are the two people flirting in these examples? Well, it’s hard to say. Context is everything!
Why, Thank You – Origin
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, “why” has been used as an interjection since the 16th century. We aren’t entirely sure why this use of the word started, or who said it first. Nor do we know where exactly this usage comes from.
There is a great deal of speculation about the etymology of “why, thank you”. Some suggest that “why” is a development of the word “hwæt”, which is the very first word in the Old English epic poem, Beowulf.
In this context, the word was used as an interjection before an announcement and served to attract the attention of listeners.
It has also been suggested that “why” was initially used as an expression of doubt, and eventually began to indicate surprise.
The true origins of “why, thank you” may simply remain a mystery to us.
Why, Thank You – Synonyms
The alternatives to “why, thank you” are pretty much any other expressions of gratitude. Let’s look at a few:
- That’s very kind of you
- I appreciate that
- Much obliged
- Thanks very much
Incorrect Ways to Use “Why, Thank You”
Remember, “why”, in this context, is not a question but an interjection. It would, therefore, not be appropriate to use this phrase as follows:
- Person 1: What did you say when he finally got back to you?
- Person 2: I just said, ‘thank you’.
- Person 1: Why ‘thank you’? He doesn’t deserve your thanks – he did the bare minimum!
In What Situations Can You Use “Why, Thank You”?
You can use the phrase “why, thank you” when you have received a compliment and want to express that you are surprised and grateful to receive it.
This phrase is appropriate for formal functions and would be especially appropriate were you to go back in time to the Victorian era.
Martin holds a Master’s degree in Finance and International Business. He has six years of experience in professional communication with clients, executives, and colleagues. Furthermore, he has teaching experience from Aarhus University. Martin has been featured as an expert in communication and teaching on Forbes and Shopify. Read more about Martin here.
In Proto-Indo-European the interrogatives started with *kʷ-. In Proto-Germanic, the ancestor of English, a process called Grimm’s law turned PIE *k into Germanic /x/, so *kʷ became /xʷ/.
In Old English, Germanic /x/ had become /h/ word initially, so /xʷ/ would have become /hʷ/ which very quickly became /ʍ/, a voiceless labialized velar approximant. This is the sound which is originally spelled <hw> and then <wh> in older English.
Anyway, Proto-Germanic interrogatives decline for case as they did in PIE. So ‘who’ actually represents the masculine nominative singular *hwaz < *kʷos, ‘what’ is the neuter nominative/accusative singular *hwat < *kʷod, ‘why’ and ‘how’ are instrumentals *hwī and *hwō. ‘where’ and ‘when’ are actually Germanic innovations adding locative and temporal markers to the stem, giving *hwar and *hwan (‘when’ probably continues an extension *hwannai or *hwannē).
You’ll notice that ‘who’ and ‘how’ are no longer pronounced with the same initial sound, this is because when the sound was still probably /hʷ/, the following roundedness, and probably length (*hwaz had given OE ‘hwā’), of the vowel caused the labialized element to disappear, giving just /h/.
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January 30, 2022
Do You Know the Origins of English? 16 English Words with Cool Life Stories
What if we told you that there’s a way to learn multiple English words at the same time?
All you have to do is learn one little English word and—poof!—you now know two, three or ten new words. Wow!
No, it’s not magic. All you have to do is learn a word’s origin along with its definition.
The origin of a word is the language it originally came from. English has many words that originally came from other languages. Some have been changed over years, others have stayed pretty much the same. When you learn a word, you should learn where it came from too!
But how will this help you double or triple your English vocabulary learning?
Often, when a foreign word is adopted by English, it takes on many new forms in the English language. This one new English word is put together with other English words, and these combinations create many more new words. However, these combinations are all related to the original word! If you know the original word, you’ll understand all of the combinations.
The more origins and original meanings you learn, the more you’ll see these words used and reused in English.
Through just one additional step to the vocabulary learning process—learning word origins—you can improve your understanding of English as a whole. Now that’s magical.
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This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you
can take anywhere.
Click here to get a copy. (Download)
English Is Always Growing
Last December, the Oxford English Dictionary added 500 new words and phrases to the dictionary. Not 500 words for the year—the English language gained 500 officially recognized words and phrases in just three months!
English is a living language. That means it’s always growing and changing. Many things influence the English language and its growth, but no matter how new or old a word is, you can probably trace it back to an original word or the moment when it was accepted into the language.
Whether the word is fleek (meaning “nice,” from 2003) or fleet (meaning a group of military ships, from the year 1200), most English words came from somewhere else.
Some words are borrowed from other languages and turn into English words with few or no changes, like the Italian words for pizza and zucchini. Other words are changed a lot more and become barely recognizable, like the Latin word pax which turned into peace in English.
No matter how different a word is from its origin, though, knowing where it came from can help you become a better English learner.
How Learning Word Origins Can Improve Your English
When you learn a new word, do you remember to learn its different forms and tenses as well? After all, knowing the word “to see” isn’t enough when you want to talk about something you saw last week. You’ll need to say “to see” in different forms and tenses, such as “I see,” “I saw,” “I’m going to see” and “you’ve seen.” You can apply the same idea to word origins.
When you learn the origin of a word, you might see it again in another word. When that happens, you might be able to get a basic understanding of the new word.
For example, look at these words:
Transport
Transgress
Transaction
Notice anything similar about them? They all have the word trans in them, which comes from the Latin word meaning “across.” Now even if you don’t know the full meaning of the words you can figure out that they deal with something going across.
Now look at the original meanings of the other parts of the words:
Port — To carry
So, it makes sense that to transport something means that you carry something across a space. For example, a bus might transport people from one city to another. A plane might transport people from one country to another.
Gress — To go
To transgress means that you cross a boundary, rule or law.
Action — To do
A transaction usually involves an exchange or trade of some kind. For example, when you give money to a cashier to buy a new shirt, this is a transaction.
You can probably figure out what the words mean from this information. See how much we knew before you even thought about opening a dictionary? It’s all thanks to knowing word origins!
Roots, Prefixes and Suffixes
English words are often made from root words, with prefixes and suffixes joined to them.
A prefix is added to the beginning of a word. The bi in bicycle is a prefix that means “two” (as in two wheels).
A suffix is added to the end of a word. The less in endless is a suffix that means “without” (which is why endless means “without an end”).
Once you remove all the prefixes and suffixes on a word, you’re left with its root, which is the part of the word that gives its main meaning. The words cycle and end in the above words are roots.
Different prefixes and suffixes are added to a root to change its meaning and create new words. For example, the root word hand can become unhand (to let go), handout (something you give for free) or even handsome (good looking).
All three words have different meanings, but they’re all related in one way or another to hand. The first two words seem related to hand, but how is handsome related to hand? A long time ago, the word used to mean “easy to handle” and then later became a term you use to show appreciation for someone.
Understanding roots and word origins like this will make it easier to understand new words, and even why they mean what they mean. The next time you see a word that has hand in it, you’ll be one step closer to understanding it before you even look it up.
Below are just 16 words. From these 16 words, you’ll learn the meanings of more than 30 other words! Once you know each word’s origin, you’ll begin to notice it in other words.
A majority of English word roots come from Latin and Greek. Even English words that come from other languages like French or German are sometimes originally Latin anyway—so they were Latin first, then became French or German and then they became English.
Many words on this list have gone through a few languages before getting to English, but in this post we’ll focus on just one main origin.
The “related words” sections give a sample of the other words you can learn using these origins, but there are many, many more out there. Most related words are broken down into their own origins, which are defined and then pointed out in parentheses (like these).
For example, if you see the words “together (sym),” you’ll know that the root sym means together. Simple!
And now, the words!
Greek
1. Phone
Meaning: A phone is a device that’s used to communicate with people from a distance (you might be using a phone to read this!).
Origin: The English word phone is actually short for telephone, which comes from the Greek words for sound (phon) and far away (tele).
Related words: Homophones are words that sound (phon) the same (homo) but are spelled differently, like hear and here. If you like hearing nice things you might enjoy a symphony, which is when many instruments play together (sym) to make a beautiful sound (phon)… usually.
2. Hyper
Meaning: Someone who is hyper is very energetic and lively.
Origin: Hyper actually a shortening of the word hyperactive, which combines the Greek word meaning “over, beyond” (hyper) and the Latin word for something that’s done (act).
Related words: When someone tells you they’re so hungry they could eat a horse, you know they’re just exaggerating by using a hyperbole—stretching the truth, like throwing (bole) something too far (hyper). No matter how exciting someone’s hyperbole is, try not to hyperventilate! That means to breathe or blow out air (ventilate) too much (hyper) in a way that makes you dizzy.
3. Sync
Meaning: When a few things happen at the same time or in the same way, they’re in sync. This word is a shortening of the word synchronize, but it’s used alone nowadays as a verb (your phone apps might even sync to make sure your files are up to date).
Origin: Sync comes from a Greek word that means to be together (sym or syn).
Related words: A synopsis is a summary of something like a movie or a play. It’s a way for everyone to see (opsis) the meaning together (syn). Synopsis and summary are actually synonyms, which are words that share the same (syn) meaning but have a different sound or name (onym).
Stay away from a play if the synopsis says the actors lip-sync. That means they move their lips (lip) together (syn) with the music without actually creating the sounds themselves.
4. Air
Meaning: Air is all around us. It’s the invisible gas that creates our atmosphere. Without air, we wouldn’t be able to breathe!
Origin: The word air has gone through a few languages before ending up in English, but it probably comes from the Greek word aer, which means to blow or breathe. You can actually find words that use both aer and air.
Related words: An airplane is a relatively flat object (plane) that flies in the air (air). Airplanes are aerodynamic, which means they use the air (aer) to power (dynamic) their flight. Don’t forget to look down when you’re in that plane, since aerial (of the air) views are pretty amazing!
Latin
5. Dense
Meaning: Something dense is packed tightly or very thick. For example, a fog can be so dense, or thick, that you can’t see much through it.
Origin: Dense comes from the Latin for “thick” (densus).
Related words: You can see condensation when evaporated water molecules join together (con) and becomes thick (dens) enough to form droplets. Density is the measure of how thickly packed (dens) something is, like people or things in one space.
6. Finish
Meaning: To finish something means to be done with it. In a few seconds you’ll be finished reading this sentence.
Origin: Finish comes from the Latin word finis which means “end.” In many words, this is shortened to fin.
Related words: You’ve probably defined a lot of vocabulary words in your English learning, which means you’ve looked up what the words mean. You could say that you’ve brought an end (both de and fin), to your lack of understanding! Don’t worry, there’s a finite number of words in English, which is a noun (ite) that means something that has a limit or end (fin). If English were infinite, or without (in) a limit, we would be learning it forever!
7. Form
Meaning: The form of something is its shape. As a verb, the word to form means to create something in a specific shape.
Origin: The word form comes from the Latin words for a mold (forma) and the Latin verb to form or to create (formare).
Related words: Many jobs and schools require people to wear a uniform, which is clothing that all looks the same or has one (uni) style (form). When places don’t have strict rules about what clothes to wear, they’re informal, or without (in) a specific shape (form).
8. Letter
Meaning: A letter is a symbol that represents a sound in a language, like a, b, c, or the rest of the alphabet. A letter is also a message you write and send to someone. Emails are digital letters!
Origin: In Latin, a letter was called a littera, and the lit and liter parts of this word appear in many English words that are related to letters.
Related words: If you’re reading this, you’re literate—you know how to read (liter). You probably read literature (books) and hopefully don’t take fiction too literally (seriously and exactly). All these words are forms of the stem liter, but their suffixes turn them into someone who reads (literate), something that exists (literature), and someone who does things to the letter (literally).
9. Part
Meaning: A part is a piece of a whole, something that isn’t complete. In verb form, the word to part means to divide or remove something.
Origin: This word comes from the Latin partire or partiri, which means to divide or share among others.
Related words: Somebody impartial has no (im) opinion about something (they take no part in the debate). You can be impartial about whether you live in a house or an apartment. An apartment is the result (ment) of dividing a building into smaller spaces (part). Wherever you live, make sure it’s safe—you wouldn’t want to put your family in jeopardy, which is a dangerous situation or, according to the original definition, an evenly divided (part) game (jeo).
10. Voice
Meaning: Your voice is the sound you use to speak. You can also voice, or state, an opinion.
Origin: The Latin word for voice is vox, and the word for “to call” is vocare. These two related words are the origin of a number of English words related to speech or voices. They usually include the root voc or vok.
Related words: An advocate is someone who calls (voc) others to help him (ate) support a cause or a person. Even someone who means well might end up provoking someone who doesn’t agree with them. To provoke someone means to call someone (vok) forward (pro) and challenge them in a way that usually makes them angry.
Old Norse
11. Loft
Meaning: A loft is a room right under the roof or very high up in a building. The loft in a house is usually used for storage, but building lofts are rented out as (usually smaller) living spaces.
Origin: The Old Norse word for air or sky was lopt, which is written as loft in English.
Related words: Something aloft is up in (a) the air (loft). If something is very tall, you would say it’s lofty, which is the adjective form of loft. In the same way, someone lofty has a very high (loft) opinion of themselves, which makes them act proud or snobbish.
French
12. Question
Meaning: Asking a question means trying to get information about something. Questions end in question marks (?).
Origin: Originally from Latin, English borrowed the Old French word question and never gave it back. The word means “to ask” or “to seek,” and it shows up in a number of ways in other words, from quire to quest. This one can be tough to spot since it switches between using the French and Latin versions of the word.
Related words: Some fantasy books have the main characters going on a quest, or a long and difficult search (quest) for something. Maybe you’re more interested in murder mystery books, which often have an inquest, or an official investigation (quest) into (in) someone’s suspicious death. If these types of books sound interesting, you can inquire, or ask (quest) about (in) them at your local library.
13. Peace
Meaning: Peace is a calm state of being. It means no wars or troubles. Peace is a wonderful thing!
Origin: The Latin pax and Old French pais both mean peace, and English words use both as prefixes and suffixes. Look for words with pac or peas in them (just not the kind of peas you eat. That’s a whole other word).
Related words: To pacify means to make (ify) someone calmer (pac). To calm someone, you can try to appease them, which means to (a) bring them peace (peas) by giving them what they want.
14. Liberty
Meaning: Liberty is the state of being free. The Statue of Liberty in New York is a symbol of freedom.
Origin: Another originally Latin word, liberty found its way into English through the Old French liberete, usually shortened to lib.
Related words: A liberator is a person (ator) who sets others free (lib) from a situation like slavery, jail or a bad leader. Becoming free means being open to changes, so it helps if you’re liberal—someone with a personality (al) that’s open to (lib) new ideas or ways of thinking.
Italian
15. Gusto
Meaning: Doing something with gusto means really enjoying it and being enthusiastic about it.
Origin: The Italian word gusto actually means taste, and comes from the Latin for taste, gustus.
Related words: You won’t do something with gusto if you find it disgusting. That’s the negative feeling you get about something you think is unpleasant—literally, without (dis) taste (gust).
Arabic
16. Check
Meaning: To check means to take a close look at something, or to make sure of something (verify it). For example, before you leave for work in the morning you might check that you have everything you need. Check can also be used as a verb that means to stop or slow something down.
Origin: The word check has an interesting history, moving from language to language and changing its meaning a little with each one. The word is originally from Persian and then Arabic, where it meant “king.” Over time, the word started being used in the game of chess and was defined as “to control.” Eventually the word’s meaning changed to what it is today. So much history in such a small word!
Related words: Leaving something unchecked means leaving something without (un) limits or control (check). If you leave weeds to grow unchecked in your yard, for example, they’ll take over and destroy your other plants. The word check on its own also refers to a piece of paper worth a certain amount of money (you write checks to pay bills). A raincheck used to be a ticket given to people attending outdoor events that had to be stopped because of rain. Today a raincheck is just a promise to do something another time.
The more roots and word origins you know, the easier it will become to learn new words.
Don’t stop learning here! Can you find words that use the related roots, too?
There are always new words to discover, and now you know exactly what to look for!
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