word origin

Definitions

The historical development and linguistic source of a word, often traced through its etymology.

The process or study of determining the earliest known form and meaning of a word.

Examples

The etymology dictionary provides a fascinating look into the word origin of common English terms.

Students were asked to research the word origin of their favorite vocabulary words for the class project.

Synonyms

etymology derivation root provenance source genesis ancestry

Antonyms

derivative outcome result consequence product end conclusion