Etymology dictionary
Anglo-Indian (adj.) — annular (adj.)
Anglo-Indian (adj.)
1814, "pertaining to the English who settled in India," from Anglo- + Indian.
Anglo-Latin (n.)
Medieval Latin as written in England, 1791, from Anglo- + Latin (n.).
Anglomania (n.)
"excessive or undue enthusiasm for England and all things English," 1787 (Jefferson); see Anglo- + mania. Related: Anglomaniac.
Anglo-Norman (adj.)
1767, "pertaining to the Normans who settled in England," from Anglo- + Norman. As a noun, 1735; from 1801 as "the Norman dialect of Old French as spoken and developed in England."
Anglophile (adj.)
"one who loves or reveres England," 1864, in reference to France, from Anglo- + -phile. Both Anglomania (1787) and Anglophobia (1793) are first attested in the writings of Thomas Jefferson.
Anglophobia (n.)
"intense hatred or fear of England or what is English," 1793 (Jefferson), from Anglo- + -phobia. Related: Anglophobe; Anglophobic (adj.); Anglophobiac (n.).
anglophone (adj.)
"English-speaking," 1895, from Anglo- + -phone.
Anglo-Saxon (n.)
Old English Angli Saxones (plural), from Latin Anglo-Saxones, in which Anglo- is an adjective, thus literally "English Saxons," as opposed to those of the Continent (now called Old Saxons). Properly in reference to the Saxons of ancient Wessex, Essex, Middlesex, and Sussex.
After the Norman-French invasion of 1066, the peoples of the island were distinguished as English and French, but after a few generations all were English, and Latin-speaking scribes, who knew and cared little about Germanic history, began to use Anglo-Saxones to refer to the pre-1066 inhabitants and their descendants. When interest in Old English writing revived late 16c., the word was extended to the language we now call Old English.
It has been used rhetorically for "English" in an ethnological sense from 1832, and revisioned as Angle + Saxon.
Angola
country in southwest Africa, a former Portuguese colony, from N'gola, title of the native ruler there when the Portuguese made contact. Related: Angolan.
angora (n.)
type of wool, 1810, from Angora, city in central Turkey (ancient Ancyra, modern Ankara), which gave its name to the goat (1745 in English), and to its silk-like wool, and to a cat whose fur resembles it (1771 in English). The city name is from the Greek word for "anchor, bend" (see angle (n.)).
angry (adj.)
late 14c., "hot-tempered, irascible; incensed, openly wrathful," from anger (n.) + -y (2). The Old Norse adjective was ongrfullr "sorrowful," and Middle English had angerful "anxious, eager" (mid-13c.). Angry young man dates to 1941 but was popularized in reference to John Osborne's play "Look Back in Anger" (produced 1956) though the exact phrase does not occur in that work. Related: Angriness.
"There are three words in the English language that end in -gry. Two of them are angry and hungry. What is the third?" There is no third (except some extremely obscure ones). Richard Lederer calls this "one of the most outrageous and time-wasting linguistic hoaxes in our nation's history" and traces it to a New York TV quiz show from early 1975.
Angria
name of a fictional empire, placed in Africa, imagined by the Brontë children, who wrote tales of it before they wrote the novels that made the three women famous. Related: Angrian.
angrily (adv.)
mid-14c., "resentfully, in anger; ill-temperedly," from angry + -ly (2).
angst (n.)
1944, from a specialized use in psychology of German Angst "neurotic fear, anxiety, guilt, remorse," from Old High German angust, from Proto-Germanic *angustu- (source also of Old Frisian ongost, Old High German angust, Middle Dutch ancst "fear," also Old English enge, Old Saxon engi, Gothic aggwus "narrow"), from PIE *anghosti-, suffixed form of root *angh- "tight, painfully constricted, painful." Compare anger.
George Eliot used it (in German) in 1849, and it was popularized in English early 20c. by translation of Freud's work, but as a foreign word until 1940s. Old English had a cognate word, angsumnes "anxiety," but it died out.
Angstrom (n.)
unit of length equal to one hundred millionth of a centimeter (used to measure wavelengths of light), 1892, named for Swedish physicist Anders Ångström (1814-1874).
Angus
masc. proper name, Scottish, related to Irish Aonghus, a compound that may be rendered in English as "having solitary strength," or else "one choice, sole choice." From Celtic oen "one" (from PIE root *oi-no- "one, unique") + Old Irish gus "ability, excellence, strength, inclination" (from Celtic root *gustu- "choice," from PIE root *geus- "to taste; to choose"). Also the name of a former county in Scotland (said to have been named for an 8c. Pictish king of that name), hence a breed of cattle (1842) associated with that region.
anguish (n.)
c. 1200, "acute bodily or mental suffering," from Old French anguisse, angoisse "choking sensation, distress, anxiety, rage" (12c.), from Latin angustia (plural angustiae) "tightness, straitness, narrowness;" figuratively "distress, difficulty," from ang(u)ere "to throttle, torment" (from PIE root *angh- "tight, painfully constricted, painful").
anguishous (adj.)
(obsolete) "full of wrath," also "anxious," early 13c., from Old French angoissos "anxious, worried, distressed; difficult; painful," from angoisse "distress, anxiety, rage" (see anguish (n.)). Related: Anguishously.
anguished (adj.)
late 14c., "full of anguish," past-participle adjective from anguish (v.). From c. 1800 as "expressing anguish."
anguish (v.)
mid-14c., angwisshen, intransitive and reflexive ("be troubled or distressed; feel agony") and transitive ("cause grief, distress,or torment"); from Old French angoissier (12c., Modern French angoisser), from angoisse "distress, anxiety, rage" (see anguish (n.)). Related: Anguished; anguishing.
angular (adj.)
1590s, "having an angle or angles, pointy," from Latin angularis "having corners or angles," from angulus "angle, corner" (see angle (n.)). It is attested earlier in an astrological sense, "occupying a cardinal point of the zodiac" (late 14c.). Angulous "having many corners" is from mid-15c. Angular as "measured by an angle" is from 1670s, hence angular motion "motion of a body which moves around a fixed point."
angularity (n.)
"quality of being angular," 1640s; see angular + -ity.
anhedonia (n.)
"inability to feel pleasure," 1897, from French anhédonie, coined 1896 by French psychologist Theodule Ribot as an opposite to analgesia, from Greek an- "not, without" (see an- (1)) + hedone "pleasure" (see hedonist) + abstract noun ending -ia.
anhinga (n.)
fishing bird of the American tropics (also called the snake-bird, water-turkey), 1769, from a Tupi word which is said to mean "snake-bird."
anhungered (adj.)
"very hungry," c. 1300, contraction of Old English of-hyngrod; see a- (1) + hunger.
anhydrous (adj.)
"containing no water," 1809, a modern coinage from Greek an- "not, without" (see an- (1)) + hydor "water" (from PIE root *wed- (1) "water; wet") + -ous. Greek did have anhydros "waterless," used of arid lands or corpses that had not been given proper funeral rites.
any (adj., pron.)
"one, a or an, some," Old English ænig (adjective, pronoun) "any, anyone," literally "one-y," from Proto-Germanic *ainagas (source also of Old Saxon enig, Old Norse einigr, Old Frisian enich, Dutch enig, German einig), from PIE root *oi-no- "one, unique." The -y may have diminutive force here.
As a noun, late 12c.; as an adverb, "in any degree," c. 1400. Emphatic form any old ______ (British variant: any bloody ______) is recorded from 1896. At any rate is recorded from 1847. Among the large family of compounds beginning with any-, anykyn "any kind" (c. 1300) did not survive, and Anywhen (1831) is rarely used, but OED calls it "common in Southern [English] dialects."
ani (n.)
black bird of the cuckoo family native to the American tropics, 1829, from Spanish or Portuguese ani, from Tupi.
anigh (adv.)
"nearby," c. 1200, from a- (1) + nigh.
anil (n.)
West Indian shrub from which indigo is made, 1580s, from French or Portuguese anil "the indigo shrub," from Arabic an-nil "the indigo," assimilated from al-nil, from Persian nila, ultimately from Sanskrit nili "indigo," from nilah "dark blue."
aniline (n.)
chemical base used in making colorful dyes, 1843, coined 1841 by German chemist Carl Julius Fritzsche and adopted by Hofmann, ultimately from Portuguese anil "the indigo shrub," from Arabic an-nil "the indigo," assimilated from al-nil (with Arabic definite article al-), from Persian nila, ultimately from Sanskrit nili "indigo," from nilah "dark blue."
With suffix -ine indicating "derived substance" (see -ine (1); also see -ine (2) for the later, more precise, use of the suffix in chemistry). Discovered in 1826 in indigo and at first called crystallin; it became commercially important in 1856 when mauve dye was made from it. As an adjective from 1860.
animalism (n.)
1828, "brutishness, state of being a (mere) animal; condition of being moved by sensual appetites as opposed to intellectual or moral forces," from animal + -ism. From 1857 as "the doctrine that man is a mere animal."
animation (n.)
1590s, "action of imparting life" (a sense now obsolete), from Latin animationem (nominative animatio) "an animating," noun of action from past-participle stem of animare "give breath to," also "to endow with a particular spirit, to give courage to, enliven," from anima "life, breath" (from PIE root *ane- "to breathe").
The meaning "vitality, appearance of activity or life" is from 1610s (the sense in suspended animation, for which see suspended). The cinematographic sense, "production of moving cartoon pictures" is from 1912.
animator (n.)
1630s, "one who or that which enlivens or inspires," from Latin animator, agent noun from animare (see animate (v.)). Cinematographic sense of "artist who makes drawings for cinematographic cartoons" is by 1919.
animate (v.)
1530s, "to fill with boldness or courage," from Latin animatus past participle of animare "give breath to," also "to endow with a particular spirit, to give courage to, enliven," from anima "life, breath" (from PIE root *ane- "to breathe").
The sense of "give natural life to" in English is attested from 1742. The meaning "render in moving pictures" is by 1888 (animated pictures); in reference to cinematic cartoons by 1911. Related: Animated; animating.
anime (n.)
c. 1985, Japanese for "animation," a word that seems to have arisen in Japan in the 1970s, said in Japanese sources to be an abbreviation of English animation.
Manga (q.v.) is Japanese for "comic book, graphic novel," but anime largely are based on manga and until 1970s, anime were known in Japan as manga eiga or "TV manga." The two terms are somewhat confused in English.
animism (n.)
"attribution of living souls to inanimate objects," 1866, reintroduced by English anthropologist Sir Edward Burnett Taylor (1832-1917), who defined it (1871) as the "theory of the universal animation of nature," from Latin anima "life, breath, soul" (from PIE root *ane- "to breathe") + -ism.
Earlier sense was of "doctrine that animal life is produced by an immaterial soul" (1832), from German Animismus, coined c. 1720 by physicist/chemist Georg Ernst Stahl (1660-1734) based on the concept of the anima mundi. Animist is attested from 1819, in Stahl's sense. Related: Animisic.
animate (adj.)
"alive," late 14c., animat, from Latin animatus, past participle of animare "give breath to," also "to endow with a particular spirit, to give courage to, enliven," from anima "life, breath" (from PIE root *ane- "to breathe").
animal (adj.)
late 14c., "pertaining to the animal spirit of man," that is, "pertaining to the merely sentient (as distinguished from the intellectual, rational, or spiritual) qualities of a human being," from Latin animalis, from animale "living being" (see animal (n.)).
From 1540s as "pertaining to sensation;" by 1630s as "pertaining to or derived from beasts;" 1640s as "pertaining to the animal kingdom" (as opposed to vegetable or mineral); 1650s as "having life, living."
Animal rights is attested from 1879; animal liberation from 1973. Animal magnetism originally (1784) referred to mesmerism.
animated (adj.)
1530s, "alive," past-participle adjective from animate (v.). The meaning "mentally excited, lively" is from 1530s, that of "full of activity" is from 1580s. The moving pictures sense is attested from 1890. Related: Animatedly.
animal (n.)
early 14c., "any sentient living creature" (including humans), from Latin animale "living being, being which breathes," noun use of neuter of animalis (adj.) "animate, living; of the air," from anima "breath, soul; a current of air" (from PIE root *ane- "to breathe;" for sense development, compare deer).
A rare word in English before c. 1600, and not in KJV (1611). Commonly only of non-human creatures. It drove out the older beast in common usage. Used derisively of brutish humans (in which the "animal," or non-rational, non-spiritual nature is ascendant) from 1580s.
anima (n.)
Jung's term for the inner part of the personality, or the female component of a masculine personality, 1923, from fem. of Latin animus "the rational soul; life; the mental powers, intelligence" (see animus). For earlier use in the sense of "soul, vital principle," see anima mundi.
animadversion (n.)
1590s, "criticism, blame, reproof; a critical commentary," also sometimes in early use simply "notice, attention, perception of an object" (a sense now obsolete), from Latin animadversionem (nominative animadversio) "investigation, inquiry; perception, observation," noun of action from past-participle stem of animadverte "to take cognizance of," literally "to turn the mind to," from animum, accusative of animus "the mind" (see animus), + advertere "turn to" (see advertise).
The sense of "take notice of as a fault" also was in Latin and animadverto at times was a euphemism for "to punish with death."
animadvert (v.)
early 15c., animadverten, "to take notice of," from Latin animadvertere "to notice, take cognizance of," also "to censure, blame, punish," literally "turn the mind to," from animus "the mind" (see animus) + advertere "turn to" (see advertise). The sense of "to criticize, blame, censure" in English is attested from 1660s. Related: Animadverted; animadverting.
animalcule (n.)
"very small animal," especially a microscopic one, 1590s, from Late Latin animalculum (plural animalcula), diminutive of Latin animal "living being" (see animal (n.)). In early use also of mice, insects, etc. Related: Animalcular; animalculine.
animalistic (adj.)
"characterized by animalism" in the negative sense; "motivated by sensual appetites," 1877; see animal (n.) + -istic.
anima mundi (n.)
"spiritual essence, distinct from matter and supposed in the philosophy of Pythagoras and Plato to be diffused throughout the universe, organizing and acting through the whole of it," 1670s, Medieval Latin, literally "soul of the world;" used by Abelard to render Greek psychē tou kosmou. From fem. of Latin animus "the rational soul; life; the mental powers, intelligence" (see animus) + genitive of mundus "universe, world" (see mundane).
animatronic (adj.)
"pertaining to or involving robotics that realistically imitate living things," 1962 (in Walt Disney's audio-animatronic), from animation + electronics. Related: Animatronics.
animosity (n.)
early 15c., "vigor, bravery" (a sense now obsolete), from Old French animosité (14c.) or directly from Latin animositatem (nominative animositas) "boldness, vehemence," from animosus "bold, spirited," from animus "life, breath" (from PIE root *ane- "to breathe"). Sense of "active hostile feeling" is from c. 1600, from a secondary sense in Latin.
animus (n.)
1820, "temper" (usually in a hostile sense), from Latin animus "rational soul, mind, life, mental powers, consciousness, sensibility; courage, desire," related to anima "living being, soul, mind, disposition, passion, courage, anger, spirit, feeling," from PIE root *ane- "to breathe."
It has no plural. As a term in Jungian psychology for the masculine component of a feminine personality, it dates from 1923 (compare anima). For sense development in Latin, compare Old Norse andi "breath, breathing; current of air; aspiration in speech;" also "soul, spirit, spiritual being."
anion (n.)
"a negatively charged ion, which moves toward the anode (q.v.) during electrolysis," 1834, proposed by the Rev. William Whewell, English polymath, and published by English physicist Michael Faraday, from Greek anion "(thing) going up," neuter past participle of anienai "go up," from ana "up" (see ana-) + ienai "go" (from PIE root *ei- "to go"). Related: Anionic.
anise (n.)
Levantine plant cultivated for its seeds, which were important sources of chemical oils and flavoring, c. 1300, from Old French anis (13c.), from Latin anisum, from Greek annēson, which Beekes suggests is from a substrate language. By the Ancients somewhat confused with dill. Related: Anisic.
aniseed (n.)
late 14c., a contraction of anise seed (n.).
anisette (n.)
"liqueur flavored with aniseed," 1821, from French Anisette de Bordeaux, from diminutive of anis (see anise).
aniso-
word-forming element meaning "unequal, not equal," from Greek anisos "not equal," from an- "not" (see an- (1)) + isos "equal to, the same as" (see iso-).
anisometric (adj.)
"of unequal measurement," 1850, perhaps based on German anisometrisch (by 1836); see an- (1) "not" + isometric.
anisotropic (adj.)
"not having the same properties in all directions," 1854; see an- (1) "not" + isotropic.
Anjou
provine of France; see Angevin.
anker (n.)
also anchor, liquid measure in North Sea and Baltic trade (equivalent to from 9 to a little more than 10 gallons), early 14c., from Dutch, related to German Anker, Swedish ankare, Medieval Latin anceria "keg, vat," which is of unknown origin.
ankh (n.)
tau cross with an oval loop at the top, Egyptian symbol of life, 1873, from Egyptian ankh, literally "life, soul." Also known as crux ansata.
ankle (n.)
"joint which connects the foot with the leg," 14c. ancle, ankle, from Old English ancleow "ankle," ultimately from PIE root *ang-/*ank- "to bend" (see angle (n.)). The Middle English and modern form of the word seems to be from or influenced by Old Norse ökkla or Old Frisian ankel, which are immediately from the Proto-Germanic form of the root, *ankjōn- (source also of Middle High German anke "joint," German Enke "ankle").
The second element in the Old English, Old Norse and Old Frisian forms of the word perhaps is a folk-etymology suggestion of claw (compare Dutch anklaauw), or it may be from influence of cneow "knee," or it may be the diminutive suffix -el. Middle English writers distinguished the inner ankle projection (hel of the ancle) from the outer (utter or utward ancle), and the word sometimes was applied to the wrist (ankle of þe hand).
anklet (n.)
"ornamental ring for an ankle," 1810, from ankle, with diminutive suffix -let, after bracelet, etc.
ankylosaurus (n.)
Cretaceous armored dinosaur, 1907, Modern Latin, from Greek ankylos "bent, curved" (see angle (n.)) + -saurus. Said to be a reference to the curved ribs.
ankylosis (n.)
"stiffening of joints caused by consolidation or fusion of two or more bones into one," 1713, alternative (and more etymological) spelling of anchylosis (q.v.).
anlage (n.)
"basis of a later development" (plural anlagen), 1892, from German anlage "foundation, basis," from anlagen (v.) "to establish," from an "on" (see on (prep.)) + legen "to lay" (from PIE root *legh- "to lie down, lay").
Ann
fem. proper name, alternative form of Anna, from Latin Anna, from Greek, from Hebrew Hannah (see Hannah). In African-American vernacular, "white woman," also "a black woman who is considered to be acting 'too white;' " also Miss Ann (by 1926). She is the spouse of Mr. Charlie.
Anne
alternative form of the fem. proper name Anna (q.v.). In Christian tradition, the name of the mother of the Virgin Mary.
Anna
fem. proper name, from Latin Anna, from Greek Anna, from Hebrew Hannah, literally "grace, graciousness" (see Hannah).
annals (n.)
"chronicle of events year-by-year," 1560s, from Latin annales libri "chronicles, yearlies," literally "yearly books," plural of noun use of annalis "pertaining to a year," from annus "year" (see annual (adj.)). In the early Roman republic, the Pontifex Maximus each year would record public events on tablets called Annales Maximi, hence Latin historical works were called annales.
annal (n.)
rare singular of annals (q.v.).
annalize (v.)
"record in annals" (rare), 1610s, from annals + -ize. Related: Annalized; annalizing.
annalist (n.)
"one who keeps a chronicle of events by year," 1610s, from French annaliste, or from annals + -ist. Related: Annalistic.
Annam
also Anam, old alternative name for Vietnam, literally "pacified south," the name given to Nam Viet by the Chinese after they conquered it 111 B.C.E. From Chinese an "peace" + nan "south." It was discarded upon restoration of Viet independence in 939 C.E., but the name stuck in Western geographies and was reapplied to the region c. 1790 by the French. Related: Annamese.
anneal (v.)
Middle English anelen, from Old English onælan "to set on fire, kindle; inspire, incite," from on- "on" (see an- (1)) + ælan "to burn, bake," from Proto-Germanic *ailan, "probably" [Watkins] from the same PIE root meaning "to burn" that is the source of ash (n.1). It is related to Old English æled "fire, firebrand," Old Norse eldr, Danish ild "fire."
The -n- was doubled after c. 1600 by analogy of Latinate words (annex, etc.; compare accursed, afford, allay). Meaning "to treat by heating and gradually cooling" (of glass, earthenware, metals, etc., to toughen them) was in late Old English. Related: Annealed; annealing.
annelid (n.)
"segmented worm," 1834, from French annélide, source of the phylum name Annelida, coined 1801 in Modern Latin by French naturalist J.B.P. Lamarck, from annelés "ringed ones" (from Latin anulus "little ring," a diminutive of anus "ring;" see anus) + Greek eidos "form, shape" (see -oid).
annex (v.)
late 14c., "connect with," from Old French annexer "to join, attach" (13c.), from Medieval Latin annexare, frequentative of Latin annecetere "to bind to," from ad "to" (see ad-) + nectere "to tie, bind" (from PIE root *ned- "to bind, tie"). Usually meaning "to join in a subordinate capacity," but that notion is not in the etymology. Of nations or territories, c. 1400. Related: Annexed; annexing.
annexation (n.)
1610s, "that which is added;" 1620s, "union" (now obsolete); 1630s, "action of adding to the end or adding a smaller to a greater," from Medieval Latin annexiationem (nominative annexatio) "action of annexing," noun of action from past-participle stem of annexare "to bind to," from ad "to" (see ad-) + nectere "to tie, bind" (from PIE root *ned- "to bind, tie"). The Middle English noun form was annexion "union; joining; territory acquired" (mid-15c.).
annex (n.)
1540s, "an adjunct, accessory," from French annexe "that which is joined" (13c.), from annexer "to join" (see annex (v.)). Meaning "supplementary building" is from 1861.
Annie
diminutive of fem. proper name Ann or Anne (see Anna). Annie Oakley (1860-1926) was the famous rifle markswoman.
annihilate (v.)
"reduce to nothing," 1520s, from Medieval Latin annihilatus, past participle of annihilare "reduce to nothing," from Latin ad "to" (see ad-) + nihil "nothing" (see nil). Related: Annihilated; annihilating.
Middle English had a past-participle adjective annichilate "destroyed, annulled, reduced to nothing" (late 14c.), from past participle of Old French anichiler "annihilate, destroy" (14c.) or the Medieval Latin verb.
annihilation (n.)
"act of reducing to non-existence," 1630s, from French annihilation (restored from Old French anichilacion, 14c.), or directly from Medieval Latin annihilationem (nominative annihilatio), noun of action from past-participle stem of annihilare "reduce to nothing" (see annihilate). In theology, an Annihilationist (1850) believed that the wicked were annihilated after death rather than sent to eternal suffering.
anniversary (n.)
c. 1200, "year-day, annual return of a certain date in the year," originally especially of the day of a person's death or a saint's martyrdom, from Medieval Latin anniversarium, noun from Latin anniversarius (adj.) "returning annually," from annus (genitive anni) "year" (see annual (adj.)) + versus, past participle of vertere "to turn" (from PIE root *wer- (2) "to turn, bend").
The adjective came to be used as a noun in Church Latin via anniversaria dies in reference to saints' days. Anniversary as an adjective in English is from mid-15c. An Old English word for "anniversary" (n.) was mynddæg, literally "mind-day."
Anno Domini
"in the year of the Christian era," 1570s, Latin, literally "in the year of (our) Lord," from ablative of annus "year" (see annual (adj.)) + Late Latin Domini, genitive of Dominus "the Lord" (see domain). Also see A.D.
Anno Hegirae
Medieval Latin, "in the year of the hegira," the flight of Muhammad from Mecca, 622 C.E., from which Muslims reckon time; from ablative of annus "year" (see annual (adj.)) + genitive of hegira. Abbreviated A.H.
annoy (v.)
late 13c., anoien, annuien, "to harm, hurt, injure; be troublesome or vexatious to, disquiet, upset," from Anglo-French anuier, Old French enoiier "to weary, vex, anger," anuier "be troublesome or irksome to;" according to French sources these are from Late Latin inodiare "make loathsome," from Latin (esse) in odio "(it is to me) hateful," from ablative of odium "hatred," from PIE root *od- (2) "to hate" (see odium).
Also in Middle English as a noun, "feeling of irritation, displeasure, distaste" (c. 1200, still in Shakespeare), from Old French enoi, anoi "annoyance;" the same French word was borrowed into English later in a different sense as ennui. And compare Spanish enojo "offense, injury, anger;" enojar "to molest, trouble, vex." Middle English also had annoyful and annoyous (both late 14c.).
annoyed (adj.)
"vexed, peeved, offended," late 13c., past-participle adjective from annoy (v.).
annoying (adj.)
"troublesome, vexation, causing irritation," late 14c., present-participle adjective from annoy (v.). Related: Annoyingly.
annotation (n.)
mid-15c., "a written comment," from Latin annotationem (nominative annotatio), noun of action from past-participle stem of annotare "to observe, remark," from ad "to" (see ad-) + notare "to mark, note, make a note," from nota "mark, sign, means of recognition" (see note (n.)). Related: Annotations.
annotate (v.)
"comment upon, remark upon in notes," 1733, from Latin annotatus, past participle of annotare, adnotare "observe, remark, note down," from ad "to" (see ad-) + notare "to mark, note, make a note," from nota "mark, sign, means of recognition" (see note (n.)). Related: Annotated; annotating. Not in Johnson's dictionary as a head-word, but used in it in the definition of comment. The form annote is recorded from mid-15c. Related: Annotated; annotating.
announcer (n.)
1610s, "a declarer, proclaimer," agent noun from announce. The radio sense is recorded from 1922.
announce (v.)
c. 1500, "proclaim, make known formally," from Old French anoncier "announce, proclaim" (12c., Modern French annoncer), from Latin annuntiare, adnuntiare "to announce, make known," literally "bring news to," from ad "to" (see ad-) + nuntiare "relate, report," from nuntius "messenger" (from PIE root *neu- "to shout"). Related: Announced; announcing.
announcement (n.)
1798, from French announcement, from Old French anoncier "announce, proclaim" (see announce). Or else formed in English from announce + -ment. Earlier in same sense was announcing.
annoyance (n.)
late 14c., "vexation, trouble," from Old French enoiance "ill-humor, irritation," from anuiant, present participle of anuier "to be troublesome, annoy, harass" (see annoy). The meaning "state of being annoyed" is from c. 1500, as is the sense of "that which annoys." Earlier, annoying was used in the sense of "act of offending" (c. 1300) and a noun annoy (c. 1200) in the sense "feeling of irritation, displeasure, distaste."
annualize (v.)
in economics and finance, "convert to an annual rate," 1904; see annual (adj.) + -ize. Related: Annualized; annualizing.
annual (n.)
c. 1400, originally "service commemorating the anniversary of a person's death," from annual (adj.) or from Late Latin annualem (nominative annualis). By 1680s as "plant that grows again or blooms every year," also as "annual literary publication."
annual (adj.)
late 14c., "appointed by the year;" c. 1400, "occurring or done once a year," from Old French annuel "yearly" (12c.) or directly from Medieval Latin annualis "yearly," corresponding to Latin annalis as adjective form of annus "year."
This is reconstructed to be from Proto-Italic *atno- "year" (compare Oscan akno- "year, holiday, time of offering"), from PIE *at-no- "which goes," also "a year" (as "going around"), suffixed form of root *at- "to go" (source also of Sanskrit atati "goes, wanders," atamana- "to travel, wander," atya- "steed, runner"). The root also has Germanic derivatives meaning "a year," such as Gothic aþnam (dative plural) "year."
Annuit Coeptis
words on the Great Seal of the United States of America, condensed by Charles Thompson, designer of the seal in its final form, from Latin Juppiter omnipotes, audacibus annue coeptis "All-powerful Jupiter favor (my) daring undertakings," line 625 of book IX of Virgil's "Aeneid." The words also appear in Virgil's "Georgics," book I, line 40: Da facilem cursam, atque audacibus annue coeptis "Give (me) an easy course, and favor (my) daring undertakings."
Thompson changed the imperative annue to annuit, the third person singular form of the same verb in either the present tense or the perfect tense. The motto also lacks a subject. The motto is often translated as "He (God) is favorable to our undertakings," but this is not the only possible translation.
Thomson wrote: "The pyramid signifies Strength and Duration: The Eye over it & Motto allude to the many signal interpositions of providence in favour of the American cause." The original design (by William Barton) showed the pyramid and the motto Deo Favente Perennis "God favoring through the years."
The Latin elements are the perfective of annuere "indicate approval, agree to, grant," literally "nod to (as a sign)" (from assimilated form of ad "to;" see ad-, + nuere "to nod;" see numinous) + perfect passive of coeptus, past participle of coepere "to begin, commence."
annuity (n.)
early 15c., annuite, "a yearly allowance, grant payable in annual installments," from Anglo-French and Old French annuité "annuity" (14c.) or directly from Medieval Latin annuitatem (nominative annuitas), from Latin annus "year" (see annual (adj.)). The meaning "an investment that entitles one to equal annual payments" is from 1690s.
annul (v.)
late 14c., "invalidate, make void, nullify;" from Anglo-French and Old French anuler "cancel, wipe out" (13c.) or directly from Late Latin annullare "to make to nothing," from Latin ad "to" (see ad-) + nullum, neuter of nullus "nothing, none" (from PIE root *ne- "not"). Related: Annulled; annulling.
annulment (n.)
late 15c., "act of reducing to nothing;" see annul + -ment. The meaning "act of declaring invalid" (a statute, marriage, etc.) is recorded from 1660s; earlier in this sense was annulling (late 14c.).
annular (adj.)
"ring-shaped," 1570s, from French annulaire (16c.) or directly from Medieval Latin annularis "pertaining to a ring," from annulus, misspelled diminutive of Latin anus "ring" (see anus).
An annular eclipse (1727) is one in which the dark body of the moon is smaller than the disk of the sun, so that at the height of it the sun, due to the moon's remoteness from Earth, appears as a ring of light. Related: Annularity.