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Latin
Named after Latium, the plain where Rome was founded — a regional label that conquered the Western world.
English
From PIE *h₂enk- ('to bend') through Proto-Germanic *angulaz ('hook') to the Angles — a tribe named for their hook-shaped peninsula in Schleswig-Holstein. Old English Englisc, meaning 'of the Angles,' was adopted by the Saxon king Alfred for the shared language of Britain, and now names a lingua franca spoken by 1.5 billion people.
english
English derives from the Old English englisċ, originating in the 5th century from the West Germanic tribes known as the Angles, originally referring to their language and culture.
Germanic
A Roman label repurposed by 19th-century linguists to name the family linking English, German, and Norse.
Greek
The English word 'Greek' derives from Old English 'Grecas', borrowed from Latin 'Graecus', which in turn comes from the Ancient Greek tribal name 'Γραικός' (Graikós). Romans used this tribal name to refer to all Greeks, although Greeks called themselves 'Hellenes'.
mean
From Old English 'maenan' (to have in mind), from PIE *men- (to think) — to mean is literally to have in mind.
mean
Three unrelated words: 'signify' from OE mǣnan (to intend); 'average' from OF meien (middle); 'low quality' from OE gemǣne (common).
mean
The adjective 'mean' (unkind, base) descends from Old English 'gemǣne' (common, shared), from Proto-Germanic *gamainiz and PIE *mey- (to exchange) — a classic case of pejoration, where 'common to all' gradually soured into 'low-born,' then 'base in character,' and finally 'cruel.
French
From Old English Frencisc, from the Franks — a Germanic people whose name possibly meant 'javelin' or 'free' (the etymon is disputed). The French language itself descends from Latin, not from Frankish.
produce
Produce' is Latin for 'lead forward' — bringing something into existence, from generals to groceries.
come
From Old English cuman, from Proto-Germanic *kwemaną, from PIE *gʷem- (to go, to come, to step). One of the most ancient verbs in English.
through
From Old English þurh, from Proto-Germanic *þurhw, from PIE *terh₂- (to cross over, to pass through). Related to Latin trāns (across) and 'trans-.
share
Share' is PIE *sker- (to cut) — sharing was cutting something whole into portions for distribution.
one
One' is pronounced with a /w/ found nowhere else in English — a quirk from western Middle English dialects.
salary
From Latin salārium, connected to sal (salt), from PIE *séh₂ls. The exact link to salt is debated — it may have been a salt allowance, or payment for salt-preserved rations, or simply derived from salt as a metaphor for value. The 'soldiers paid in salt' story is a later embellishment.
make
From Old English macian (to make, to construct), from Proto-Germanic *makōną, from PIE *mag- (to knead, to fashion). The original image is working material with the hands.
hello
Origin uncertain — probably from Old English or Old High German exclamations used to attract attention. Edison championed it as the telephone greeting in 1877, beating Bell's preferred 'ahoy.' Before the telephone, it was a shout to hail ferrymen or attract attention at a distance.
connect
Connect descends from Latin connectere, joining con- (together) and nectere (to bind or tie), giving it the literal meaning of tying things together.
derive
From Latin dērīvāre (to lead away water, to draw off), from dē- (away) + rīvus (a stream), from PIE *h₃reyH- (to flow). Originally a hydraulic metaphor.
name
From PIE *h₁nómn̥, 'name' is one of the most stable words in the Indo-European family — shared by Sanskrit, Greek, Latin, Gothic, Celtic, and Slavic. 'Noun' and 'name' are the same word split by the Norman Conquest.
sense
Sense' is Latin for 'perception' — from PIE *sent- (to feel one's way). Movement meets awareness.
trace
Trace' is Latin for 'a repeated drawing' — from 'trahere' (to pull). Drawing a line and following one.
are
English 'are' is a Northumbrian dialect form that overthrew the original Old English plural 'sindon' during the Middle English period — a northern insurgent that conquered Standard English, likely aided by Old Norse influence in the Danelaw.
German
A Latin name — possibly Celtic for 'neighbor' — that Caesar applied to peoples beyond the Rhine.
back
From Old English 'bæc' (rear of the body) — the body part became a direction, spawning one of English's most productive compound families'.
metaphor
From Greek metaphorá (a transfer), from meta- (across) + phérein (to carry), from PIE *bʰer- (to carry). Literally 'carrying across' — transporting meaning from one domain to another.
century
From Latin 'centuria' (group of a hundred) — originally a Roman military unit, only later a hundred-year period.
preserve
Preserve comes from Latin prae- 'before' and servāre 'to keep' — literally 'to guard in advance'.
key
From Old English 'caeg,' from Proto-Germanic *kegaz — one of the oldest unresolved mysteries in English etymology.
etymology
From Greek étymon (true sense of a word) + lógos (account, study), via Latin etymologia into English around 1380. Literally 'the study of the true sense of words.
medieval
Coined in the 19th century from Latin 'medium aevum' (middle age) — a word younger than the country it's most associated with, describing a period whose inhabitants had no name for it.
carry
From Latin 'carricare' (to load a wagon), from Gaulish 'karros' (chariot) — originally transport by vehicle.
person
Person' comes from Latin 'persona' (mask) — identity was born from theater. 'Parson' is its long-lost twin.
speak
Speak' dropped its 'r' through metathesis — German preserved it in 'sprechen.' Same word, different path.
give
From PIE *gʰebʰ- — could mean 'give' or 'receive'; Latin took the receiver's side ('habēre'), Germanic kept the giver's.
cognate
From Latin 'cognatus' (born together) — in linguistics, words sharing a common ancestor across different languages.
fire
From PIE *péh₂wr̥ — entered English twice: as 'fire' through Germanic and 'pyre' through Greek, a true doublet.
direct
From Latin 'directus' (set straight) — 'dis-' + 'regere' (to guide straight), from PIE *h₃reǵ- (to move in a straight line).
verb
From Latin 'verbum' (a word), from PIE *werdho- — narrowed by grammarians to mean the action-word.
coin
From Old French coigne (a wedge, a stamping die), from Latin cuneus (a wedge). Named for the wedge-shaped die used to stamp metal into currency.
Sanskrit
Means 'refined' or 'perfected' — literally 'put together well,' the polished counterpart to vernacular Prakrits.
idea
From Greek idéa (form, pattern), from ideîn (to see), from PIE *weyd- (to see, to know). For Plato, an Idea was an eternal Form, not a passing thought. Related to Latin vidēre (to see) and English 'wise' and 'wisdom.'
theology
Theology' is Greek for 'discourse about the gods' — from 'theos' + 'logos.' Myth became system.
Norse
From Dutch 'noorsch' (northern), cognate with 'north' — both from Proto-Germanic *nurþraz, likely meaning 'left' when facing the rising sun.
thing
Thing' originally meant 'assembly, parliament' — preserved in Iceland's Althing. It broadened to mean anything.
people
From Old French pueple, from Latin populus (a people, a nation). The origin of Latin populus is uncertain — possibly Etruscan. Displaced native 'folk' after the Norman Conquest.
complete
From Latin complētus, past participle of complēre (to fill up), from com- (together) + plēre (to fill), from PIE *pleh₁- (to fill). Literally 'filled together'.
between
From Old English 'betwēonan,' literally 'by twos' — embedding the concept of duality into its very structure.
because
From Middle English 'bi cause' (by cause), calqued from Old French 'par cause de' — the phrase fused into one conjunction by the 15th century.
govern
From Old French governer, from Latin gubernāre (to steer, to direct), from Greek kybernân (to steer a ship). The same root produced 'cybernetics'.
vocabulary
From Latin 'vocabulum' (a word), from 'vocare' (to call) — a collection of 'callings.
scholar
Scholar' traces to Greek 'schole' (leisure) — a scholar is one devoted to leisure's highest use.
develop
Develop comes from French développer — 'to unwrap, to unfold'. Development is literally the unfolding of what was wrapped up. Its opposite, envelop, means 'to wrap'.
noun
Noun' and 'name' are the same PIE word — one came through French, the other through Germanic.
form
From Latin 'fōrma' (shape, mold) — a possible connection to Greek 'morphē' by metathesis has been proposed but is debated. One of English's largest word families.
move
From Latin 'movere' (to set in motion), from PIE *mewh1- (to push away) — one of the largest verb families in English.
other
From Old English ōþer (second, the other), from Proto-Germanic *anþeraz, from PIE *h₂enteros (the other of two).
extend
Extend comes from Latin extendere ('to stretch out'), combining ex- ('out') and tendere ('to stretch') — part of one of Latin's most prolific root families, which also gave English tent, tension, and pretend.
follow
From Old English 'folgian,' from Proto-Germanic *fulgāną — meaning stable for thousands of years despite debated deeper origins.
concept
'Concept' is Latin for 'something seized' — understanding is grasping, an idea caught by the mind.
travel
Travel' traces to a Latin torture device — 'tripalium' (three stakes). Premodern journeys were agony.
entire
From Old French entier, from Latin integrum (whole, untouched), from in- (not) + tangere (to touch), from PIE *tag- (to touch). Literally 'untouched' — complete.
ultimate
From Latin ultimus ('farthest, last'), itself the superlative of ulter ('beyond'), 'ultimate' entered English meaning 'final' and later acquired the sense of 'the greatest possible'.
translate
Translate' is Latin for 'carry across' — from 'transferre.' Meaning ferried between languages.
include
From Latin 'includere' (to shut inside) — to include is literally to close something within the group.
evidence
From Latin 'evidentia' (clearness) — 'ex-' + 'videre' (to see). Literally 'that which can be clearly seen.
replace
Replace comes from French replacer — 're- + placer' — meaning 'to place again'. The root traces through Latin platea ('broad street') to Greek platys ('broad, flat'), which also gives us plaza, plateau, and platypus.
have
From Old English habban, from Proto-Germanic *habjaną, from PIE *keh₂p- (to seize, to grasp). Having is literally grasping. One of the most ancient verbs in English.
body
One of English's most etymologically mysterious words, 'body' originally meant only the trunk and has no confirmed relatives in any other language.
build
From Old English 'byldan,' from 'bold' (dwelling) — began as making a house, broadened to all construction.
together
Together' is literally 'toward-gathered' — from Old English 'to' + 'gadere.' A doublet of 'gather.
distinguish
From Latin 'distinguere' (to separate by pricking marks) — telling things apart by marking them with a sharp point.
music
From Greek 'mousike' (art of the Muses) — literally the Muses' art, whose name may trace to PIE *men- (to think).
write
Old English 'writan' meant 'to scratch, score' — preserving the memory of carving runes into wood, not using ink.
year
From Old English ġēar, from PIE *yeh₁r- (year, season). Shares an ancient root with Greek hṓra — the source of English 'hour.'
origin
Origin comes from Latin orīgō meaning 'a rising, a beginning', from orīrī — 'to rise'. An origin is the moment something appears, like the sun at dawn.
create
'Create' was originally agricultural — Latin 'creare' meant 'to cause to grow' before theology elevated it'.
particular
Particular' means 'relating to a tiny piece' — the Latin diminutive of 'pars' (part). Small by design.
under
From Old English under, from PIE *n̥dʰér (below). One of the most stable spatial terms in Indo-European.
old
From Old English eald, from Proto-Germanic *aldaz, from PIE *h₂el- (to grow, to nourish). Literally 'grown up.' The connection to Latin altus (high, deep) is debated but possible — both from the idea of growth.
stand
From Old English standan, from Proto-Germanic *standaną, from PIE *steh₂- (to stand). One of the most productive roots in Indo-European — source of 'state,' 'station,' 'statue,' 'stable,' 'static,' 'stature,' and 'standard.
describe
From Latin 'describere' (to write down) — 'scribere' traces to PIE *skrībʰ- (to cut, to scratch), though the deeper origin is uncertain. Writing was originally carving.
distinct
Distinct derives from Latin distinguere, 'to separate by pricking,' sharing the root stinguere with extinct and instinct — all words built on the ancient metaphor of a pointed tool making marks.
combine
Combine joins Latin com- (together) with bini (two by two), originally meaning to pair things up, before broadening to any act of merging.
mark
From Old English 'mearcian,' from PIE *merg- (boundary) — originally tracing territorial boundaries.
live
From Old English 'lifian,' from PIE *leyp- (to stick, remain) — the oldest concept of living was persisting, staying.
primary
Primary comes from Latin prīmārius meaning 'of the first rank', from prīmus 'first'.
branch
Branch comes from Old French branche, from Late Latin branca ('paw, claw'), entering English in the thirteenth century after a striking metaphorical shift from clawed foot to tree limb.
renaissance
Renaissance' is Latin for 'rebirth' — the same PIE root behind 'gene,' 'nation,' 'nature,' and 'native.
compose
'Compose' is Latin for 'put together' — whether music, prose, or your emotions after a shock.
survive
Survive' is Latin for 'live beyond' — from 'super-' + 'vivere' (to live). Kin to 'vivid' and 'vital.
change
From Late Latin 'cambiare' (to barter), probably from Celtic for 'crooked' — the original concept was bending off course.
man
Originally gender-neutral in Old English, meaning 'person' — males were 'wer' (as in werewolf), females were 'wif.
power
From Old French povoir (to be able), from Latin potēre (to be powerful), from potis (able, powerful), from PIE *poti- (powerful, lord). Related to 'potent' and 'possible.'
remain
Remain comes from Latin remanēre — 'to stay behind' — from re- ('behind') and manēre ('to stay').
the
English 'the,' the most frequent word in the language (~7% of all text), descends from the PIE demonstrative *tó-/*só-. It evolved from a fully inflected Old English paradigm of 30+ forms (se/sēo/þæt) into a single invariable article by 1300 CE — a grammaticalization paralleled independently by Greek, Romance, and Celtic from different source words.
down
The word 'down' conceals a lost hill: Old English adūne meant 'off the hill' (a- + dūn, hill). The hill vanished from the word but survived in the Sussex and Surrey Downs — and 'dune' is the same word, borrowed back from Dutch.
strong
Strong' is PIE *strenk- (tight) — strength was conceived as tautness, not size. A coiled muscle.
knowledge
From Middle English knowleche, from Old English cnāwan (to know) + -lāc (activity, practice). The PIE root is *ǵneh₃- (to know), shared with Greek gnōsis and Latin cognōscere.
two
From PIE *dwoh₁ — one of the most stable words across all Indo-European languages, hidden in 'twin' and 'doubt.
debate
Debate' is Latin for 'beat down' — from 'battuere' (to beat). It evolved from fists to words.
god
From PIE *ǵʰu-tó-m (that which is invoked) — originally neuter in gender, becoming masculine only with Christianity.
call
Borrowed from Old Norse 'kalla' (to cry out), replacing native Old English 'clipian' during Norse-English bilingualism'.
suggest
Suggest comes from Latin suggerere — 'to carry from below', from sub- ('from below') + gerere ('to carry'). A suggestion is an idea lifted from beneath the surface, not stated directly.
conquer
From Old French conquerre, from Latin conquīrere (to search for, to procure), from com- (intensive) + quaerere (to seek). Originally just meant 'seeking' — the military sense developed in French.
understand
Old English 'understandan' — 'to stand among,' where 'under' meant 'amid,' not 'beneath.
serve
Serve' is Latin for 'to be a slave' — from 'servus.' It transformed from bondage to duty and honor.
claim
From Latin 'clamare' (to call out), from PIE *kelh₁- (to shout) — every claim is etymologically a public shout.
phrase
Phrase' meant 'way of speaking' in Greek — it narrowed from style of expression to a grammatical unit.
show
Show' flipped perspective — it meant 'to look at' before meaning 'to cause others to look.
culture
Cicero first applied 'cultura' (farming) to the mind in 45 BCE — 'culture' began as a crop metaphor'.
without
Old English 'withutan' — 'with' (against) + 'utan' (outside); 'lacking' developed as the spatial sense faded.
narrow
From Old English 'nearu' (confined, oppressive) — originally not just small width but suffocating constriction.
spell
From Old English spell (a story, a message, a discourse), from Proto-Germanic *spellą (speech, tale). 'Gospel' is gōd-spell (good news). The magic sense reflects the Germanic belief that spoken words held real power.
odyssey
English 'odyssey' derives from Homer's 'Odýsseia,' the epic poem about the hero Odysseus — whose name may mean 'he who causes wrath' — and has been a common noun for 'a long, adventurous journey' since the 1580s, when English translators first brought the Homeric tradition into the vernacular.
condition
'Condition' originally meant 'talking together' — from Latin 'dicere' (to say). A negotiated state.
instruct
From Latin 'in-' + 'struere' (to build) — building knowledge into a person, equipping the mind.
day
From Old English dæg, from Proto-Germanic *dagaz. The PIE source is debated — possibly *dʰegʷʰ- (to burn, to be hot), making daylight 'the burning time,' but other derivations have been proposed.
nothing
Nothing' is literally 'no-thing' — and Old English 'thing' originally meant 'assembly,' not 'object.
legal
From Latin lēgālis (of the law), from lēx (law), from PIE *leǵ- (to collect). Laws were originally 'things gathered together'.
deep
From Old English dēop, from Proto-Germanic *deupaz, from PIE *dʰewb- (deep, hollow). The word has maintained its core meaning since Proto-Germanic. All abstract uses of 'depth' are metaphorical extensions of this physical sense.
hold
From Old English 'healdan' — originally 'to tend livestock,' evolving through 'guard' and 'keep' to the modern sense of grasping.
work
From Old English weorc, from Proto-Germanic *werką, from PIE *werǵ- (to do, to act). Related to Greek érgon (work), 'energy,' 'organ,' and 'surgery' (hand-work).
state
State' is Latin for 'how one stands' — Machiavelli turned it political with Italian 'lo stato.
ancestor
Latin for 'one who went before' — a hidden member of the family that includes 'precede,' 'succeed,' and 'cede'.
gradual
From Medieval Latin 'graduālis' (by steps), from 'gradus' (a step), from PIE *ghredh- — change so slow each step is barely noticeable.
general
From Latin 'generālis' (of the whole kind), from 'genus' (birth) — linking kinship to universality, and eventually to military command.
acquire
From Latin 'acquirere' — literally 'to seek toward,' combining 'ad-' (to) and 'quaerere' (to seek).
journey
From Old French 'jornee,' from Latin 'diurnum' (daily) — originally 'a day's travel' in a world measured by walking days.
mental
From Latin mentālis (of the mind), from mēns (mind), from PIE *men- (to think).
surface
Surface comes from French sur (over) + face — literally 'the over-face', the layer that faces outward. The verb 'to surface' was originally a naval term for submarines rising from below.
algorithm
Named after al-Khwārizmī, a 9th-century Persian mathematician whose surname — meaning 'from Khwārazm' in Uzbekistan — became the word for every procedure a computer follows.
tradition
From Latin trāditiō (a handing over, a delivery), from trādere (to hand over), from trāns- (across) + dare (to give), from PIE *deh₃- (to give). The word names the act of passing knowledge from one generation to the next.
authority
From PIE *h₂ewg- (to increase), through Latin augēre and auctor (one who originates), authority first named the credibility of a creator over what they had brought into existence — only acquiring its modern sense of coercive power through the slow collapse of a Roman legal distinction between origination-based standing and formal state force.
family
From Latin 'familia' (household), from 'famulus' (servant, slave) — originally the entire household under a patriarch, not blood kin.
influence
From Latin 'influere' (to flow in) — originally an astrological term for celestial power flowing into human affairs.
close
From Latin 'claudere' (to shut) — the unprefixed heir of a verb that built 'include,' 'exclude,' 'conclude,' and 'clause'.
know
From Old English cnāwan, from Proto-Germanic *knēaną, from PIE *ǵneh₃- (to know). One of the largest root families in Indo-European, producing 'cognition,' 'diagnosis,' 'noble' (well-known), and 'narrate' (to make known).
feel
From Old English 'fēlan' (to perceive by touch) — physical sensation first, extended to emotions in Middle English via bodily metaphor.
earth
From PIE *h₁er- (ground, earth) — the only planet not named after a god. We simply called our world 'the ground.'
cause
From Latin 'causa' (reason, legal case) — of unknown deeper origin but central to Western philosophy ever since.
human
From Latin 'hūmānus,' linked to 'humus' (earth), from PIE *dʰǵʰm̥ — mortals as 'earthlings,' formed from and returning to soil.
way
From Old English weg, from Proto-Germanic *wegaz, from PIE *weǵʰ- (to carry, to move). Related to 'wagon,' 'vehicle,' and Latin via (road).
transform
Transform' is Latin for 'change shape' — an exact parallel of Greek 'metamorphoun.' Both mean the same.
point
Point' is Latin for 'a prick' — from 'pungere' (to pierce). One sharp tip that spawned geometry and argument.
indicate
From Latin 'indicare' (to point out), from PIE *deyḱ- (to show) — literally 'to point towards'.
mind
From Old English gemynd (memory), from Proto-Germanic *gamundiz, from PIE *men- (to think).
shape
From Old English gesceap (creation, form), from Proto-Germanic *skapą, from PIE *(s)kep- (to cut, to scrape). Giving form was originally subtractive, like sculpting.
natural
Natural comes from Latin nātūra meaning 'birth' — nature was originally the essential character something was born with.
cut
'Cut' appeared from Scandinavian and abruptly displaced all native Old English verbs for cutting.
contain
'Contain' is Latin for 'hold together' — the root 'tenere' spawned detain, maintain, retain, sustain.
borrow
From Old English 'borgian' (to pledge, stand surety) — originally not about taking temporarily but about giving a guarantee for return.
take
Take' is a Viking loan that displaced native 'niman' — which survives only in 'nimble' (quick to seize).
express
From Latin 'exprimere' (to press out) — pressing thoughts into words. Italian 'espresso' coffee is the same word.
right
From Old English riht (straight, just), from PIE *h₃reǵ- (to move straight). The root of 'regal,' 'regime,' 'regulate,' and 'rectify.'
moral
From Latin 'moralis,' coined by Cicero as a Latin equivalent of Greek 'ethikos,' from 'mos' (custom, character).
citizen
From Anglo-French citezein, from Old French citeain (inhabitant of a city), from cité (city), from Latin cīvitās (citizenship, community), from cīvis (citizen).
derivative
From Latin derivare (to draw water from a stream), from rivus (brook) — something channeled from a source, like water diverted from a river.
romance
Romance comes from Vulgar Latin *rōmānicē — 'in the Roman tongue'. It originally meant a story written in French rather than Latin. The love meaning came from the content of those stories.
reveal
Reveal comes from Latin revēlāre — literally 'to pull back the veil'. Revelation and apocalypse are the same word in different languages: both mean 'to uncover what was hidden'.
involve
Involve comes from Latin involvere — 'to roll into, to wrap up'. Being involved was being tangled like thread on a spindle.
typical
Rooted in the Greek word for a hammer blow's impression, 'typical' travelled from physical mark to symbolic figure to its modern sense of 'characteristic'.
spirit
From Latin spīritus (breath, spirit), from spīrāre (to breathe), from PIE *speys- (to blow). Originally meant 'breath' — the soul as the breath of life.
lead
From Old English 'laedan,' causative of 'lithan' (to go) — literally 'to cause to go,' leadership as making others move.
learn
From Old English 'leornian,' from PIE *leys- (track, furrow) — gaining knowledge was originally following a path.
establish
From Latin 'stabilire' (to make firm), from 'stare' (to stand) — literally 'to make something stand.' Related to 'stable.
apply
Latin 'to fold onto' — sibling of 'comply,' 'imply,' 'reply,' and 'supply,' all descended from 'plicare' (to fold).
Arabic
'Arab' appears in 9th-century BCE Assyrian records, probably meaning 'nomads' or 'desert-dwellers'.
perfect
Perfect' meant 'thoroughly completed' — flawlessness grew from the idea that what is truly finished lacks nothing.
conceal
From Old French conceler, from Latin concēlāre (to hide completely), from com- (intensive) + cēlāre (to hide), from PIE *kel- (to conceal, to cover).
near
From Old Norse 'naer,' comparative of 'na' (nigh) — a frozen comparative, making 'nearer' a double comparative.
mirror
From Old French mirour, from Latin mīrāre (to look at, to wonder at), from mīrus (wonderful), from PIE *smey- (to smile, to be amazed). A mirror is literally 'a thing to wonder at'.
Persian
From Old Persian Pārsa — the same word that Arabic, lacking /p/, turned into 'Fārs,' whence 'Fārsī.'
civic
From Latin cīvicus (of a citizen), from cīvis (citizen), from PIE *ḱey- (to settle, to lie down). A civic matter is literally a matter of those who have settled together.
pay
Pay' comes from Latin 'pacare' (to pacify) — payment was originally restoring peace between debtor and creditor.
emotion
From Latin 'emovere' (to move out, agitate) — originally meaning a public disturbance, not a private feeling.
hand
A purely Germanic word with no secure outside cognate — possibly from a root meaning 'to seize,' the source of 'handsome.
house
From Proto-Germanic *hūsą, found across Germanic but nowhere else in IE — it gave rise to 'husband' (Old Norse 'house-dweller').
word
From Old English word, from Proto-Germanic *wurdą, from PIE *werh₁- (to speak). The same root produced Latin verbum and Greek rhēma (speech).
part
Part' displaced native Old English 'dael' and spawned 'particle,' 'partner,' 'party,' 'depart,' and 'apartment.
formal
From Latin 'fōrmālis' (relating to form) — the Scholastic contrast of form vs. substance pervades modern usage of the word.
toward
Toward' is Old English for 'turned to' — from PIE *wert- (to turn). Kin to Latin 'vertere.
occur
Events that 'occur' are metaphorically running toward you — from Latin 'currere' (to run) + 'ob-' (toward).
science
From Latin scientia (knowledge), from scīre (to know), possibly from PIE *skey- (to cut, to separate) — knowing as the act of distinguishing. 'Scientist' was coined by William Whewell in 1833.
law
From Old Norse 'log' (things laid down), from PIE *legh- (to lie) — rules placed like foundation stones.
divide
Divide comes from Latin dīvidere — 'to force apart'. A dividend is the thing to be divided. An individual is the indivisible — what cannot be divided further.
measure
Measure comes from Latin mēnsūra, from the PIE root *meh₁- meaning 'to measure'.
purpose
Purpose comes from Latin prōpōnere — prō- 'forward' plus pōnere 'to place' — meaning 'something placed before you'. It shares its origin with propose and the French à propos.
function
From Latin functio ('a performing'), derived from fungi ('to perform'), function entered English through French and later gained its mathematical sense from Leibniz in 1694.
inherit
From Late Latin inhereditare (to appoint as heir), built on Latin heres (heir), 'inherit' traces to a PIE root meaning emptiness and deprivation — inheritance seen from the perspective of death.
define
From Latin dēfīnīre (to limit, to determine), from dē- (completely) + fīnīre (to bound, to limit), from fīnis (boundary, end).
draw
From Old English 'dragan' (to pull) — every modern sense, from sketching to concluding, extends the fundamental pulling motion.
reach
Reach' encodes the primal human gesture — from Proto-Germanic for 'to stretch out an arm toward something desired.
open
Open' traces to PIE *upo (up from under) — openness was originally something lifted up and made accessible.
face
From Latin 'facies' (form, appearance), from PIE *dʰeh₁- (to make) — your face is etymologically 'the thing made.'
turn
From Latin 'tornare' (to shape on a lathe), from Greek 'tornos' — a craftsman's term that became universal.
generate
From Latin 'generāre' (to beget), from 'genus' (birth), from PIE *ǵenh₁- — kin to 'gene,' 'genesis,' and 'kin'.
provide
Provide' meant 'to see ahead' — supplying arose from foreseeing a need and preparing for it.
water
From Old English wæter, from PIE *wódr̥ (water). One of humanity's oldest words, hidden in 'whiskey' (Gaelic 'water of life') and 'vodka' (Russian 'little water').
instrument
From Latin 'instrumentum' (a tool), from 'instruere' (to build into) — something built into a process to make it work.