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  1. 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 enough to satisfy academic standards, but accessible enough to be used by anyone.

  2. Sep 28, 2017 · unknown (adj.) unknown. (adj.) c. 1300, "strange, unfamiliar" (of persons, places), from un- (1) "not" + past participle of know (v.). Compare Old English ungecnawen. In reference to facts, "not discovered or found out," it attested from early 14c. The noun meaning "unknown person" is recorded from 1590s; the unknown "that which is unknown" is ...

  3. 1. 1. Of a fact, piece of information, etc.: not known; that has not been learnt, ascertained, or comprehended; not identified or established as fact or truth. Cf. know v. III. 1.a. attributive and in predicative use. Also with by, to, etc., specifying the person or group to whom the fact or information is not known.

  4. Sep 24, 2015 · 7. Take a look at the 1981 study by Sterling Eisiminger, “Etymology Unknown: Toward a Master List of Words of Obscure Origin”, and his 1984 followup, “Etymology Unknown: The Crème de la Crème de la Crème”. The author of the study wrote to Merriam Company and found that according to their dictionary there are 538 words of unknown origin.

  5. 6 days ago · The book draws on Oxford's unrivalled dictionary research programme and language monitoring, and relates the fascinating stories behind many of our most curious terms and expressions in order to offer the reader a much more explicit account than can be found in a general English dictionary. Organized A-Z, the entries include first known use ...

  6. Folk etymology, also known as popular etymology, is the process whereby a word is altered so as to resemble at least partially a more familiar word or words. Sometimes the process seems intended to "make sense of" a borrowed foreign word using native resources: for example, the Late Latin febrigugia (a plant with medicinal properties ...

  7. www.merriam-webster.com › help › explanatory-notesHelp - Merriam-Webster

    Words of Unknown Origin. When the source of a word appearing as a main entry is unknown, the expression "origin unknown" is usually used. Only in exceptional circumstances (as with some ethnic names) does the absence of an etymology mean that it has not been possible to furnish an informative etymology.

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