Online Etymology Dictionary

Eskimo (n.): 1580s, from Danish Eskimo or Middle French Esquimaux (plural), both probably from an Algonquian word, such as Abenaki askimo (plural askimoak), Ojibwa ashkimeq, traditionally said to mean literally "eaters of raw meat," from Proto-Algonquian *ask- "raw" + *-imo "eat." Research from 1980s in linguistics of the region suggests this derivation, though widely credited there, might be inaccurate or incomplete, and the word might mean "snowshoe-netter." The people's word for themselves is Innuit "people." Eskimo pie "chocolate-coated ice cream bar" introduced 1921.
Esmerelda: fem. proper name, from Spanish, literally "emerald."
esne (n.): Old English esne "domestic slave," from Proto-Germanic *asnjoz- "harvestman" (cf. Gothic asneis), from *asanoz- "harvest" (see earn).
esophagus (n.): late 14c., from Greek oisophagos "gullet," literally "what carries and eats," from oisein, future infinitive of pherein "to carry" (see infer) + -phagos, from phagein "to eat" (see -phagous). Related: Esophageal.
esoteric (adj.): 1650s, from Greek esoterikos "belonging to an inner circle," from esotero "more within," comparative adverb of eso "within," related to eis "into," en "in" (see en- (2)).

In English, originally of Pythagorean doctrines. According to Lucian, the division of teachings into exoteric and esoteric originated with Aristotle.
esoterica (n.): by 1807, Modern Latin, from plural of Greek esoterikos "pertaining to those within" (see esoteric).
ESP (n.): 1934, initialism for extra-sensory perception.
espadrille (n.): shoe with soles of hemp-rope (originally worn in the Pyrenees), 1892, from French espadrille (17c.), from Provençal espardillo, from Latin spartum, from Greek sparton "a rope made of spartos," an imported fiber known as "Spanish broom."
espalier (n.): 1660s, from French espalier (16c.), from Italian spalliera "stake-works shoulder-high," from spalla "shoulder," from Latin spatula (see spatula).
especial (adj.): late 14c., from Old French especial "pre-eminent, important," from Latin specialis "belonging to a particular kind or species," from species "kind" (see species).

Latin words with initial sp-, st-, sc- usually acquired an e- when borrowed by Old French. Modern French has restored the word to spécial. Originally with the same sense as special, later restricted to feelings, qualities, etc.
especially (adv.): c.1400, from especial + -ly (2).
Esperanto (n.): 1892, from Doktoro Esperanto, whose name means in Esperanto, "one who hopes," pen name used on the title page of a book about the artificial would-be universal language published 1887 by its inventor, Lazarus Ludwig Zamenhof (1859-1917). Cf. Spanish esperanza "hope," from esperar, from Latin sperare (see speed (n.)).
espionage (n.): 1793, from French espionnage "spying," from Middle French espionner "to spy," from Old French espion "spy," probably via Italian spione from a Germanic source akin to Old High German spehon "spy" (see spy).
esplanade (n.): 1590s, from French esplanade (15c.), from Spanish esplanada "large level area," noun use of fem. past participle of esplanar "make level," from Latin explanare "to level" (see explain). Or perhaps the French word is from or influenced by Italian spianata, from spianare
espousal (n.): late 14c., from Old French esposailles (plural) "act of betrothal" (12c., Modern French époussailles), from Latin sponsalia "betrothal, espousal," noun use of neuter plural of sponsalis "of a betrothal," from sponsa "spouse." For the -e- see especial.
espouse (v.): mid-15c., "to take as spouse, marry," from Old French espouser "marry, take in marriage, join in marriage" (11c., Modern French épouser), from Latin sponsare, past participle of spondere (see espousal).

Extended sense of "adopt, embrace" a cause, party, etc., is from 1620s. Related: Espoused; espouses; espousing. For initial e-, see especial.
espresso (n.): 1945, from Italian caffe espresso, from espresso "pressed out," from past participle of esprimere, from Latin exprimere "press out" (see express). In reference to the steam pressure.
esprit (n.): 1590s, from Middle French esprit "spirit, mind," from Old French espirit, from Latin spiritus "spirit" (see spirit).

For initial e-, see especial. Esprit de corps first recorded 1780. French also has the excellent phrase esprit de l'escalier, literally "spirit of the staircase," defined in OED as, "a retort or remark that occurs to a person after the opportunity to make it has passed." It also has espirit fort, a "strong-minded" person, one independent of current prejudices, especially a freethinker in religion.
espy (v.): early 13c., aspy, from Old French espier (12c., Modern French épier), from Vulgar Latin *spiare, from a Germanic source (cf. Old High German spehon "to spy;" see spy). Related: Espied. For initial e-, see especial.
esquire (n.): late 14c., from Middle French esquier "squire," literally "shield-bearer" (for a knight), from Old French escuyer, from Vulgar Latin scutarius "shield-bearer, guardsman" (in classical Latin, "shield-maker"), from scutum "shield" (see hide (n.1)).

For initial e-, see especial. Cf. squire. Originally the feudal rank below knight, sense broadened 16c. to a general title of courtesy or respect for the educated class, especially, later, in U.S., for lawyers.
essay (n.): 1590s, "short non-fiction literary composition" (first attested in writings of Francis Bacon, probably in imitation of Montaigne), from Middle French essai "trial, attempt, essay," from Late Latin exagium "a weighing, weight," from Latin exigere "test," from ex- "out" (see ex-) + agere (see act) apparently meaning here "to weigh." The suggestion is of unpolished writing.
essay (v.): "to put to proof, test the mettle of," late 15c., from Middle French essaier, from essai (see essay (n.)). This sense has mostly gone with the divergent spelling assay. Meaning "to attempt" is from 1640s. Related: Essayed; essaying.
essayist (n.): c.1600, from essay (n.) + -ist. French essayiste (19c.) is from English.
essence (n.): late 14c., essencia (respelled late 15c. on French model), from Latin essentia "being, essence," abstract noun formed (in imitation of Greek ousia "being, essence") from essent-, present participle stem of esse "to be," from PIE *es- (cf. Sanskrit asmi, Hittite eimi, Old Church Slavonic jesmi, Lithuanian esmi, Gothic imi, Old English eom "I am;" see be). Originally "substance of the Trinity," the general sense of "basic element of anything" is first recorded in English 1650s, though this is the base meaning of the first English use of essential.
Essene (n.): 1550s, member of a Jewish sect (first recorded 2c. B.C.E.), from Latin, from Greek Essenoi, of disputed etymology, perhaps from Hebrew tzenum "the modest ones," or Hebrew hashaim "the silent ones." Klein suggests Syriac hasen, plural absolute state of hase "pious."
essential (adj.): mid-14c., "that is such by its essence," from Late Latin essentialis, from essentia (see essence). Meaning "pertaining to essence" is from late 14c., that of "constituting the essence of something" is from 1540s; that of "necessary" is from 1520s. Essentials "indispensable elements" is from early 16c. Related: Essentially.
essentialism (n.): 1939, from essential + -ism. Related: Essentialist.
Essex: Old English East-Seaxe "East Saxons," who had a 7c. kingdom there.
essive (adj.): 1890, from Finnish essiivi, from Latin esse (see essence).
establish (v.): late 14c., from Old French establiss-, present participle stem of establir (12c., Modern French établir) "cause to stand still, establish, stipulate, set up, erect, build," from Latin stabilire "make stable," from stabilis "stable" (see stable (adj.)).

For initial e-, see especial. Related: Established; establishing.
establishment (n.): late 15c., "settled arrangement," also "income, property," from establish + -ment. Meaning "established church" is from 1731; Sense of "place of business" is from 1832. Meaning "social matrix of ruling people and institutions" is attested occasionally from 1923, current use from 1955.
establishmentarian (n.): "adherent of the principle of an established church," 1846, from establishment.
estaminet (n.): 1814, from French, "a café in which smoking is allowed" (17c.), of unknown origin; some suggest a connection to French estamine, a type of open woolen fabric used for making sieves, etc., from Latin stamineus "made of thread." Or from Walloon stamen "post to which a cow is tied at a feeding trough," from Proto-Germanic *stamniz (see stem (n.)).
estate (n.): early 13c., "rank, standing, condition," from Anglo-French astat, Old French estat "state, position, condition, health, status, legal estate" (Modern French état), from Latin status "state or condition," from root of stare "to stand" from PIE root *sta- "to stand" (see stet).

For initial e-, see especial. Sense of "property" is late 14c., from that of "worldly prosperity;" specific application to "landed property" (usually of large extent) is first recorded in American English 1620s. A native word for this was Middle English ethel (Old English æðel) "ancestral land or estate, patrimony." Meaning "collective assets of a dead person or debtor" is from 1830.

The three estates (in Sweden and Aragon, four) conceived as orders in the body politic date from late 14c. In France, they are the clergy, nobles, and townsmen; in England, originally the clergy, barons, and commons, later Lords Spiritual, Lords Temporal, and commons. For Fourth Estate see four.
esteem (v.): mid-15c., from Middle French estimer (14c.), from Latin aestimare "to value, appraise," perhaps ultimately from *ais-temos "one who cuts copper," i.e. mints money (but de Vaan finds this "not very credible"). At first used as we would now use estimate; sense of "value, respect" is 1530s. Related: Esteemed; esteeming.
esteem (n.): (also steem, extyme), mid-14c., "account, worth," from French estime, from estimer (see esteem (v.)). Meaning "high regard" is from 1610s.
Estella: fem. proper name, Spanish, literally "star," from Latin stella (see star (n.)).
ester (n.): compound formed by an acid joined to an alcohol, 1852, coined in German in 1848 by German chemist Leoipold Gmelin (1788-1853), professor at Heidelberg. "[A]pparently a pure invention" [Flood], perhaps a contraction of or abstraction from Essigäther, the German name for ethyl acetate, from Essig "vinegar" + Äther "ether" (see ether).

Essig is from Old High German ezzih, from a metathesis of Latin acetum (see vinegar).
Esther: fem. proper name, Old Testament wife of the Persian king Ahasuerus, from Greek Esther, from Hebrew Ester, from Persian sitareh "star," related to Avestan star- (see star (n.)).
esthete (n.): alternative form of aesthete (q.v.). Also see æ.
esthetic (adj.): alternative form of aesthetic (see aesthetic). Also see æ. Related: esthetical; esthetically; esthetician; esthetics.
estimable (adj.): mid-15c., from Old French estimable and directly from Latin aestimabilis "valuable, estimable," from aestimare (see esteem (v.)).
estimate (n.): 1560s, "valuation," from Latin aestimatus, verbal noun from aestimare (see esteem). Earlier in sense "power of the mind" (mid-15c.). Meaning "approximate judgment" is from 1580s. As a builder's statement of projected costs, from 1796.
estimate (v.): 1530s, "appraise the worth of," from Latin aestimatus, past participle of aestimare "to value, appraise" (see esteem). Meaning "form an approximate notion" is from 1660s. Related: Estimated; estimates; estimating.
estimation (n.): late 14c., "action of appraising; manner of judging; opinion," from Old French estimacion, from Latin aestimationem (nominative aestimatio) "a valuation," from past participle stem of aestimare "to value" (see esteem). Meaning "appreciation" is from 1520s. That of "process of forming an approximate notion" is from c.1400.
estimator (n.): 1660s, from Latin aestimator, agent noun from aestimare (see estimate).
estivate (v.): "to spend the summer," mid-17c., from Latin aestivatus, past participle of aestivare "to spend the summer," from aestus "heat," aestas "summer," literally "the hot season," from Proto-Italic *aissat-, from PIE *aidh- "to burn" (see edifice). Related: Estivated; estivating.
Estonia: often said to be from a Germanic source akin to east, but perhaps rather from a native name meaning "waterside dwellers."
estop (v.): 1530s, from Anglo-French estopper "to stop, bar, hinder" (especially in a legal sense, by one's own prior act or declaration), from Old French estoper "plug, stop up, block; prevent, halt" (also in obscene usage), from estope "tow, oakum," from Latin stuppa "tow" (used as a plug); see stop (v.).
estoppel (n.): 1530s, from Old French estopail, literally "bung, cork," from estoper (see estop).