The only free and comprehensive online etymological dictionary of the Spanish language

Word of the Day

hender (Verb) "to split"
13th cent. From Latin findere 'id.' From Proto-Italic *find-e 'id.' From Proto-Indo-European *bhi̯-n-d- "to cleave."
Indo-European
Romance
Portuguese fender, Catalan fendre, French fendre, Italian fendere
Italic
Hernican hvidas "to break"
Celtic
Celtiberian biđetuđ
Germanic
Gothic beitan, Old Norse bíta, Old High German bīzan, Old Saxon bītan, Old English bītan (English to bite)
Hellenic
Ancient Greek φείδομαι (pheídomai)
Indo-Iranian
Sanskrit bhinátti "to split"
Corominas, J. & J. Pascual. Diccionario crítico etimológico castellano e híspanico. 6 vols. Madrid: Gredos. 1991-1997.
de Vaan, M. Etymological Dictionary of Latin and Other Italic Languages. BRILL. 2014.
Real Academia Española. Diccionario de la lengua española. Online. 23rd ed. Madrid: Espasa Calpa. 2014. http://www.rae.es/.
Sihler, A. New Comparative Grammar of Greek and Latin. Oxford University Press. 2008.

9 November 2018 - Update 3.2

A series of shadow updates were implemented over the past month: changes in formatting and font, an improved layout to display cognates in other languages, and information added.

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The Online Etymological Dictionary of Spanish is a free etymological dictionary of the Spanish language launched on August 6, 2016. An etymology is not a definition but a history of a word over time. This site provides an account of the development of the Spanish language as best as historical linguists are able to ascertain in a way that is accessible both by laymen and academics. If you enjoy using this dictionary, please consider donating to help keep this site alive.