Etymology

~9 mins

Etymology is the study of the origin and historical development of words. It traces how words have evolved in form and meaning over time, revealing connections between languages and cultures.

1) Economy comes from the Greek word oikonomia, meaning "household management." Oikos = house, nomos = law or management. In ancient Greece, it meant running a household wisely; today it means running a whole nation's resources. The shift from home to nation shows how the concept of "managing scarcity" expanded. Example: When we say "economic policy," we're literally talking about "household management" scaled up to entire countries.

2) Salary comes from the Latin salarium, which originally meant "money to buy salt." Salt was so valuable in the Roman world — for preserving food and health — that soldiers sometimes received allowances tied to it. Today, "salary" means regular pay, but its root reminds us of salt's former importance. Example: The phrase "worth his salt" comes from this same origin, meaning someone earns their pay.

3) School comes from the Greek skholē, which surprisingly meant "leisure" or "free time." The idea was that free citizens used leisure to pursue learning. Over centuries, "leisure learning" became formal education. What we call "school" today began as the privilege of having time to think. Example: The word "scholar" shares this root, originally meaning someone who had the leisure time to study.

4) Book comes from Old English bōc, related to the German Buch. The root traces back to the word for "beech tree," because early writing in northern Europe was carved into wooden tablets of beech. Every book today carries in its name a memory of trees. Example: The German word Buchstabe (letter of the alphabet) literally means "beech staff," showing how writing was once carved on wood.

5) Alphabet joins two Greek letters: alpha and beta. The Greeks borrowed their letters from the Phoenicians, who in turn shaped them from earlier Semitic scripts. The word "alphabet" itself is a shorthand for the first steps of writing, the ABCs. Example: Hebrew aleph and bet, Arabic alif and ba, all trace back to the same Phoenician origins as our alphabet.

6) Library comes from the Latin librarium, "a place for books," from liber, which originally meant the inner bark of a tree, used for writing before paper. A library is literally "a bark-house of knowledge." Example: The word "liberty" shares the same root, as free people could write and read, whilst slaves could not.

7) Philosophy comes from Greek philosophia — philo = love, sophia = wisdom. A philosopher was a "lover of wisdom." Socrates and Plato carried the title not as claim of wisdom, but as seekers of it. The word reminds us philosophy was always more about love of truth than possession of it. Example: Philadelphia means "city of brotherly love," using the same philo- prefix.

Related: Philosophy | Greek philosophy | Socrates

8) Religion comes from the Latin religare, meaning "to bind again." It suggests religion binds people to gods, to rituals, or to communities. Another root given by Cicero is relegere, "to go over again," meaning careful observance. The debate over its root shows the complexity of what religion is. Example: "Religious observance" captures both meanings — binding oneself to practice and carefully going over rituals.

Related: Religion | Religion etymology | Cicero

9) Science comes from the Latin scientia, meaning "knowledge." In medieval Europe it simply meant general learning. Over time it narrowed to mean systematic study of nature using observation and experiment. What we now call "science" was once just "knowing." Example: The word "conscience" shares this root, meaning "knowledge with oneself" or inner awareness of right and wrong.

10) History comes from Greek historia, meaning "inquiry" or "investigation." Herodotus, called the "father of history," titled his work Histories not as a storybook, but as an inquiry into causes and events. Today, history means the record of the past, but at root it is the act of asking questions about it. Example: The word "story" comes from the same root, showing how history and narrative are connected.

Related: History | Herodotus | Historiography

11) Medicine comes from Latin medicina, "the art of healing," from medicus (physician). The deeper root is mederi, "to heal or to take care." It shares a link with Mediterranean — "the sea in the middle of the land" — since both carry the idea of being "in the middle," balancing or restoring. Example: "Meditation" comes from the same root, meaning to be in the middle of one's thoughts.

12) Computer comes from the Latin root computare, "to count or reckon." It originally meant a human who did calculations. During the Second World War, women working as "computers" solved ballistic tables by hand. Only later did the word shift to the machines we know. Example: NASA employed hundreds of human "computers" in the 1960s, many of them African American women who calculated rocket trajectories.

13) Language comes from Latin lingua, meaning "tongue." The physical organ became the symbol of speech itself. The French word langue kept the same sense, and English borrowed it. To "learn a language" is literally to learn a new tongue. Example: "Linguistics" is the study of tongues, whilst being "bilingual" means having two tongues.

Related: Language | Linguistics | Etymology

14) Culture comes from Latin cultura, meaning "cultivation" — like tending crops. Cicero used it metaphorically as "cultivation of the soul." Over centuries, it grew to mean the shared ways of life, art, and knowledge of people. What began in fields expanded to all of human expression. Example: "Agriculture" literally means "field cultivation," whilst "culture" means "soul cultivation."

Related: Culture | Cicero | Agriculture

15) Politics comes from Greek politika, "affairs of the city," from polis (city). In ancient Athens, politics was the business of citizens managing common life. The word still carries that sense: politics is not just power, but the shared running of a community. Example: "Metropolitan" means "mother city," whilst "cosmopolitan" means "citizen of the world."

16) Psychology comes from Greek psyche (soul, breath, mind) and logos (study, word). At first it meant the study of the soul. Today it is the study of mind and behaviour. The word itself is a reminder that early thinkers saw breath and spirit as one. Example: "Psychoanalysis" means analysing the soul, whilst "psychiatry" means healing the soul.

Related: Psychology | Psyche | Psychology history

17) Universe comes from Latin universum — uni (one) + versus (turned). It literally means "all turned into one." Ancient philosophers used it for the whole of existence, everything moving together. When we say "universe," we echo that old sense of all things bound as one. Example: "University" shares the same root, meaning a community of scholars "turned into one" for learning.

Related: Universe | Cosmology | University

18) Mathematics comes from Greek mathema, meaning "knowledge" or "learning." It was the general word for any subject of study. Later, it narrowed to numbers and patterns. Every maths problem carries the echo of this original meaning: mathematics as "learning itself." Example: "Polymath" means someone who has learned many things, using the same root.

19) Democracy comes from Greek demos (people) and kratos (rule or power). It means "rule by the people." Athens experimented with democracy 2,500 years ago, though only free male citizens counted. Today, the word is broader, but the root reminds us it was always about people's power. Example: "Demographic" means "people writing" or population statistics, whilst "aristocracy" means "rule by the best."

Related: Democracy | Athenian democracy | Demos

20) Technology comes from Greek techne (skill, craft) and logos (study). Techne traces back to Proto-Indo-European *teks- meaning "to weave" or "to fabricate," whilst logos comes from *leg- meaning "to collect" or "to speak." It originally meant "the study of craft." Today, it covers machines, electronics, and systems, but the root shows that technology has always been about skill — from a potter's wheel to artificial intelligence. Example: "Architect" means "chief craftsman," whilst "technique" is simply the skill itself.

Related: Technology | Technology history | Techne

21) Energy comes from Greek energeia, meaning "activity" or "being at work." The root comes from en (in) + ergon (work), which traces back to Proto-Indo-European *werg- meaning "to work." Aristotle used it to mean the actualisation of potential. In physics today, energy is the ability to do work — moving, heating, lighting. The word ties philosophy to science: energy is both motion of thought and power in matter. Example: "Ergonomics" uses the same root, meaning the science of work efficiency.

Related: Energy | Aristotle | Work in physics

22) Islam comes from Arabic aslama, meaning "to submit" or "to surrender (to God)." The root s-l-m traces back to Semitic *šalām-, meaning "peace" or "wholeness." It shares a root with salam (peace) and Hebrew shalom. Islam literally means "peace through submission to God," linking faith to both devotion and harmony. Example: "Muslim" means "one who submits," whilst "Salem" (as in Jerusalem) means "peace."

Related: Islam | Semitic languages | Shalom

23) Law comes from Old Norse lagu, meaning "something laid down or fixed." This traces back to Proto-Germanic *lagam, from Proto-Indo-European *legh- meaning "to lie down" or "to lay." Law is what is set, what is put in place to guide behaviour. In Old English, it also carried the sense of order and agreement. Law still means the rules laid down for society. Example: "Legislation" means "carrying laws," using the same root as "lay."

Related: Law | Old Norse | Legal systems

24) Justice comes from Latin iustitia, from ius (law, right). The root ius traces back to Proto-Indo-European *h₂yew- meaning "vital force" or "long life." In Rome, ius meant both legal rights and broader fairness. Justice still straddles that tension: is it about obeying the written law, or about reaching what is morally right? The word carries both legacies. Example: "Jury" comes from the same root, meaning those who swear an oath.

Related: Justice | Roman law | Jurisprudence

25) Truth comes from Old English triewð, meaning "faithfulness" or "loyalty." This traces back to Proto-Germanic *treuwithō, from Proto-Indo-European *drew- meaning "firm" or "solid like wood." To be true originally meant to be steady, trustworthy, reliable. Truth was less about fact than about keeping faith. Only later did truth narrow to mean accuracy about reality. Example: "Tree" shares this root, representing something firm and enduring.

Related: Truth | Old English | Epistemology

26) Freedom comes from Old English frēodōm, built from frēo (free) + -dom (state or condition). Frēo traces back to Proto-Indo-European *priy- meaning "beloved" or "dear." It first meant the state of being free, often in contrast to slavery. In Germanic languages, "free" was linked to being part of a tribe with rights. Freedom began as belonging, not separation. Example: "Friend" shares this root, originally meaning "beloved one."

Related: Freedom | Liberty | Germanic peoples

27) Family comes from Latin familia, which meant not just relatives but everyone in a Roman household, including slaves. It came from famulus (servant), which traces back to Proto-Indo-European *dʰh₁-mo- meaning "that which is established." Over time, it narrowed to mean blood relatives, but the word's root shows how family once meant a whole economic unit under one roof. Example: "Domestic" shares this root, meaning "of the household."

Related: Family | Roman family | Household

28) Planet comes from Greek planētēs, meaning "wanderer." This comes from planasthai "to wander," from Proto-Indo-European *pleh₂- meaning "flat" or "to spread out." The Greeks noticed that some lights in the sky moved against the fixed stars. Those moving lights became known as "wandering stars." Today, planet still means a world that wanders around the Sun. Example: "Plane" (flat surface) and "plan" (spread out) share this root.

29) Star comes from Old English steorra, related to German Stern and Greek aster. The Proto-Indo-European root *h₂stḗr meant "star" and is linked to words meaning "to strew" or "scatter," because stars look scattered across the sky. The word itself has always pointed to what shines in the night sky, giving direction and wonder. Example: "Astronomy" means "star law," whilst "disaster" originally meant "bad star."

Related: Star | Astronomy | Proto-Indo-European

30) Human comes from Latin humanus, related to homo (man, person). The deeper root is humus, meaning "earth" or "soil," which traces back to Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰmṓn meaning "earthling." To be human is literally "to be of the earth." It is a reminder that humans are not separate from nature but grounded in it. Example: "Humble" shares this root, meaning "close to the earth" or lowly.

Related: Human | Homo sapiens | Humus

31) Soul comes from Old English sawol, linked to German Seele. Its root likely traces back to Proto-Indo-European *sāwol- meaning "quickening" or "that which moves," possibly connected to the sea because many cultures believed the soul travelled over water after death. The word itself reflects humanity's oldest questions about what lives beyond the body. Example: "Psyche" in Greek also meant soul, giving us "psychology."

32) Mind comes from Old English gemynd, meaning "memory." This traces back to Proto-Indo-European *mn̥-tí- from the root *men- meaning "to think" or "remember." Originally, mind was not thought or intellect, but remembrance. Over time it expanded to mean thought, reason, and inner life. The word shows how memory was once seen as the essence of mental being. Example: "Mental," "mention," and "monument" all share this root.

Related: Mind | Memory | Consciousness

33) Body comes from Old English bodig, meaning "trunk" or "chest." The etymology is uncertain, but it may trace back to Proto-Indo-European *bʰudʰ- meaning "bottom" or "foundation." It originally referred to the main part of a person, not including limbs. Over time, body became the whole physical self. Today it also means a group of people (a student body), carrying the sense of a whole composed of parts. Example: "Buddha" may share this root, meaning "awakened one."

Related: Human body | Anatomy | Embodiment

34) Heaven comes from Old English heofon, which meant "sky" or "the heavens above." This traces back to Proto-Germanic *himiną, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *ḱem- meaning "to cover." It was both a physical place (the sky dome) and a spiritual realm. The blending of the two — sky and paradise — shaped how heaven is still imagined. Example: Many cultures see the sky as a covering or dome over the earth.

Related: Heaven | Sky | Afterlife

35) Hell comes from Old English hel, from Proto-Germanic *haljō meaning "concealed place" or "underworld." This traces back to Proto-Indo-European *ḱel- meaning "to cover" or "hide." In Norse myth, Hel was the goddess of the underworld. The word itself meant a concealed realm of the dead. Later Christianity sharpened it into a place of punishment, but the original sense was simply "what lies hidden below." Example: "Helmet" and "hall" share this root of covering or concealing.

Related: Hell | Norse Hel | Underworld

36) Angel comes from Greek angelos, meaning "messenger." This comes from angellein "to announce," from Proto-Indo-European *h₂enǵʰ- meaning "tight" or "narrow," possibly referring to urgent, compressed messages. In the Bible, angels were messengers of God. The word carries the sense of a role, not a being — their essence is to deliver. Today "angel" also means a kind person, but the root is still about bringing messages. Example: "Evangelist" means "bearer of good news."

Related: Angel | Christian angels | Messengers

37) Devil comes from Greek diabolos, meaning "slanderer" or "accuser." It comes from diaballein - dia (across) + ballein (to throw), from Proto-Indo-European *gʷelh₁- meaning "to throw" or "reach." The devil was "one who throws across," someone who twists truth. That root shows the devil's original role was not horns and fire, but deception. Example: "Ballistic" and "symbol" (thrown together) share the same root.

Related: Devil | Satan | Diabolos

38) Knowledge comes from Old English cnāwan, "to know, to recognise." This traces back to Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- meaning "to know." The root meant to acknowledge or be familiar with. Knowledge was once less about abstract truth and more about recognition, intimacy, and shared experience. Example: "Gnosis," "diagnosis," and "agnostic" all share this root of knowing.

Related: Knowledge | Epistemology | Cognition

39) Wisdom comes from Old English wīsdom, "the state of being wise." Wīs meant "knowing, experienced," from Proto-Indo-European *weyd- meaning "to see" or "know." Wisdom was always practical — knowing how to live well — not just information. The word carries the weight of lived understanding. Example: "Vision," "video," and "idea" all come from roots meaning "to see."

Related: Wisdom | Philosophy | Practical wisdom

40) Work comes from Old English weorc, from Proto-Germanic *werkan, tracing back to Proto-Indo-European *wérǵom meaning "work" or "deed." The root *werǵ- meant "to do" or "act." Work has always meant purposeful activity that creates or accomplishes something. The word connects to our deepest sense of human purpose and productivity. Example: "Organ" (tool for work), "energy" (work within), and "surgery" (hand work) all relate to this concept of doing.

Related: Work | Labour | Ergonomics

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