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

Word of the Day

época f. (Noun) "epoch"
17th cent. Borrowed from Medieval Latin epocha 'id.,' itself borrowed from Ancient Greek ἐποχή ‎(epokhé) "pause." From the verb ἐπέχειν (epékhein) "to hold back." From ἐπῐ́ ‎(epí) "upon" (of the same etymology as o- (2) "toward") and ἔχειν (ekhein) "to grip" (Mycenaean e-ke). ἔχειν derives from Proto-Indo-European *seǵh- "to hold."
Indo-European
Celtic
Gaulish sego "victory," first element in names like Sego-vellauni, Sego-marus, Sego-vax, Old Irish seg "power"
Germanic
Gothic sigis "victory," Old Norse sigr 'id.,' Old High German sigi 'id.,' Old Saxon sigi-drihten "God" (but literally 'victory-lord'), Old English sigor
Indo-Iranian
Sanskrit sáhate "is overpowered," Avestan hazah- "force"
Beekes, R. S. P. Etymological Dictionary of Greek. BRILL. 2014.
Corominas, J. & J. Pascual. Diccionario crítico etimológico castellano e híspanico. 6 vols. Madrid: Gredos. 1991-1997.
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.

12 August 2019 - Update 3.92

Final updates in preparation for a particularly large data update coming at the end of the month.

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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.