Online Etymology Dictionary

list (n.): "catalogue consisting of names in a row or series," 1602, from M.E. liste "border, edging, stripe" (c.1280), from O.Fr. liste "border, band, row, group," also "strip of paper," or from O.It. lista "border, strip of paper, list," both from a Gmc. source (cf. O.H.G. lista "strip, border, list," O.N. lista "border, selvage," O.E. liste "border"), from P.Gmc. *liston, from PIE *leizd- "border, band." The sense of "enumeration" is from strips of paper used as a sort of catalogue. The O.E. word survives in archaic lists "place of combat," at the boundary of fields.
list (v.1): "tilt, lean," especially of a ship, 1880, earlier (1626) lust, of unknown origin, perhaps an unexplained spelling variant of M.E. lysten "to please, desire, wish, like" (see listless) with a sense development on the notion of "leaning" toward what one desires (cf. incline).
list (v.2): "hear, hearken," now poetic or obsolete, from O.E. hlystan "hear, hearken," from hlyst "hearing," from P.Gmc. *khlustiz, from PIE *kleu- "to hear" (see listen).
listen: O.E. hlysnan "to listen," from P.Gmc. *khlusinon (cf. O.H.G. hlosen "to listen," Ger. lauschen "to listen"), from PIE base *kleu- "hearing, to hear" (cf. Skt. srnoti "hears," srosati "hears, obeys;" Avestan sraothra "ear;" M.Pers. srod "hearing, sound;" Lith. klausau "to hear," slove "splendor, honor;" O.C.S. slusati "to hear," slava "fame, glory," slovo "word;" Gk. klyo "hear, be called," kleos "report, rumor, fame glory," kleio "make famous;" L. cluere "to hear oneself called, be spoken of;" O.Ir. ro-clui-nethar "hears," clunim "I hear," clu "fame, glory," cluada "ears;" Welsh clywaf "I hear;" O.E. hlud "loud," hleoðor "tone, tune;" O.H.G. hlut "sound;" Goth. hiluþ "listening, attention"). The -t- probably is by influence of O.E. hlystan (see list (v.2)). For vowel evolution, see bury.
blacklist (n.): "list of persons who have incurred suspicion," 1610s, from black + list. Specifically of employers' list of workers considered troublesome (usually for union activity) is from 1888. As a verb, from 1718.
tariff: 1591, "arithmetical table," from It. tariffa, M.L. tarifa "list of prices, book of rates," from Arabic ta'rif "information, notification, inventory of fees to be paid," verbal noun from arafa "to make known." Meaning "official list of customs duties on imports or exports" is from 1592; sense of "classified list of charges made in a business" is recorded from 1757.
repertory: 1552, "index, list, catalogue," from L.L. repertorium "inventory, list," from L. repertus, pp. of reperire "to find, get, invent," from re-, intensive prefix, + parire, archaic form of paerere "produce, bring forth," from PIE base *per- "attempt" (see parent). Meaning "list of performances" is first recorded 1845; repertory theater is attested from 1896.
rundown (n.): in baseball sense, first recorded 1908, from run + down. Meaning "list of entries in a horse race and the odds" is from 1935; slang sense of "summary, account, list of information or facts" is from 1945.
roster: 1727, from Du. rooster "table, list," originally "gridiron," from M.Du. roosten "to roast" (see roast). So called from the grid of lines drawn on a paper to make a list.
vocabulary: 1532, "list of words with explanations," from M.L. vocabularium "a list of words," from L. vocabulum "word, name, noun," from vocare "to name, call" (see voice). Meaning "range of language of a person or group" is first attested 1753.
inventory (n.): early 15c., from M.Fr. inventaire "detailed list of goods," from M.L. inventorium "list of what is found," from L. inventus, pp. of invenire "to find" (see invention). The verb is first recorded c.1600.
wait (v.): c.1200, "to watch with hostile intent, lie in wait for," from O.N.Fr. waitier "to watch" (Fr. guetter), from Frank. *wahton (cf. Du. wacht "a watching," O.H.G. wahten, Ger. wachten "to watch, to guard;" O.H.G. wahhon "to watch, be awake," O.E. wacian "to be awake;" see wake (v.)). General sense of "remain in some place" is from 1375; meaning "serve as an attendant at a table" is from 1568. The noun is first attested c.1300. To wait (something) out "endure a period of waiting" is recorded from 1909, originally Amer.Eng., in ref. to baseball batters trying to draw a base on balls. Waiting game is recorded from 1890. Waiting room is attested from 1683. Waiting list is recorded from 1897; the verb wait-list "to put (someone) on a waiting list" is recorded from 1960.
A-list: in celebrity sense, 1984, from A in the sense of "first, best" (e.g. A-1) + list (n.).
menu: 1837, from Fr. menu de repas "list of what is served at a meal," from M.Fr. menu (adj.) "small, detailed," from L. minutus "small," lit. "made smaller," pp. of minuere "to diminish," from root of minus (see minus). Computer usage is from 1971, from expanded sense of "any detailed list," first attested 1889.
index: late 14c., "the forefinger," from L. index (gen. indicis) "forefinger, pointer, sign, list," lit. "anything which points out," from indicare "point out" (see indicate). Meaning "list of a book's contents" is first attested 1570s, from L. phrases such as Index Nominum "Index of Names," index expurgatorius "specification of passages to be deleted from works otherwise permitted." The verb meaning "compile an index" is from 1720. Scientific sense (refractive index, etc.) is from 1829; economic sense (cost-of-living index, etc.) is after 1886. The Church sense of "forbidden books" is from index librorum prohibitorum, first published 1564 by authority of Pius IV.
calendar: c.1200, "system of division of the year;" mid-14c. as "table showing divisions of the year;" from O.Fr. calendier "list, register," from L. calendarium "account book," from calendae/kalendae "calends" the first day of the Roman month -- when debts fell due and accounts were reckoned -- from calare "to announce solemnly, call out," as the priests did in proclaiming the new moon that marked the calends, from PIE base kele- "to call, shout" (see claim). Taken by the early Church for its register list of saints and their feast days. The -ar spelling in English is 17c. to differentiate it from the now obscure calender "cloth-presser" (see calender).
screed: early 14c., "fragment, strip of cloth," from northern England dialectal variant of O.E. screade (see shred). Meaning "lengthy speech" is first recorded 1789, from notion of reading from a long list.
unlisted: 1644, from un- (1) "not" + pp. of list (v.). In ref. to stocks, attested from 1905; of phone numbers, from 1937 (Amer.Eng.).
checklist: 1853, Amer.Eng., from check + list. Two words until c.1880; hyphenated until late 20c.
payroll (n.): 1740, from pay (v.) + roll (n.); "total amount paid to employees over a period," hence, via records-keeping, "list of employees receiving pay."
billet: 1590s, "to assign quarters to," earlier, as a noun, "official record or register" (M.E.), from Anglo-Fr. billette "list, schedule," dim. of bille (see bill (1)).
Amanda: fem. proper name, lit. "worthy to be loved," fem. of L. amandus, ger. of amare "to love" (see Amy). A top 10 list name for girls born in U.S. between 1976 and 1995.
Joshua: masc. proper name, biblical successor of Moses, from Heb. Yehoshua, lit. "the Lord is salvation." Joshua tree (1867) is perhaps so called because its shape compared to pictures of Joshua brandishing a spear (Josh. viii.18). In the top 10 list of names for boys in the U.S. since 1979.
David: masc. proper name, in O.T. second king of Israel and Judah and author of psalms, from Heb. Dawidh, lit. "darling, beloved friend." The name was common in England and Scotland by 12c., but much earlier in Wales. A nickname form was Dawe, hence surnames Dawson, Dawkins. A top 10 list name for boys born in the U.S. from 1934 to 1992.
Sharon: fem. proper name; name of the fertile coastal plain between Jaffa and Mount Carmel, from Heb., aphetic for yesharon, prop. "the Plain," from stem of yashar "was straight, was even" (cf. Heb. mishor "level land, plain"). A top-10 list name for girls born in the U.S. between 1943 and 1949.
catalogue: 1460, from L.L. catalogus, from Gk. katalogos "a list, register," from kata "down, completely" + legein "to say, count" (see lecture). The verb is first attested 1598.
punt (1): "kick," 1845 (n. and v.), first in a Rugby list of football rules, perhaps from dialectal punt "to push, strike," alteration of Midlands dial. bunt "to push, butt with the head," of unknown origin, perhaps echoic. Student slang meaning "give up, drop a course so as not to fail," 1970s, is because a U.S. football team punts when it cannot advance the ball.
Elizabeth: fem. proper name, Biblical name of the wife of Aaron, from Heb. Elishebha "God is an oath," the second element said by Klein to be related to shivah (fem. sheva) "seven," and to nishba "he swore," originally "he bound himself by (the sacred number) seven." Has never ranked lower than 26th in popularity among the names given to baby girls in the U.S. in any year since 1880, the oldest for which a reliable list is available.
enlist: 1690s, from en- "make, put in" + list. Related: Enlisted; enlisting.
Jane: fem. proper name, from Fr. Jeanne, O.Fr. Jehane, from M.L. Johanna (see John). As a generic name for "girl, girlfriend" it is attested from 1906 in U.S. slang. Never a top-10 list name for girls born in the U.S., it ranked in the top 50 from 1931 to 1956. It may owe its "everywoman" reputation to its association with John.
erratum: "list of corrections attached to a printed book," 1580s, from L. erratum (pl. errata), neut. pp. of errare (see err).
questionnaire: 1901, from Fr. questionnaire "list of questions," from questionner "to question," from M.Fr. (see question). Purists preferred native formation questionary (1540s).
expunge: c.1600, from L. expungere "mark (a name on a list) for deletion" by pricking dots above or below it, lit. "prick out," from ex- "out" + pungere "to prick, stab" (see pungent). Related: Expunged; expunging.
laundry: c.1530, from O.Fr. lavanderie, from L. lavendaria, pl. of lavandarium "things to be washed," from lavare "to wash" (see lave). Laundry list in figurative sense is from 1958.
bibliography: 1670s, "the writing of books," from Gk. bibliographia "the writing of books," from biblio- + graphos "(something) drawn or written." Sense of "a list of books that form the literature of a subject" is first attested 1869. Related: Bibliographic; bibliographical.
syllabus: 1656, "table of contents of a series of lectures, etc.," from L.L. syllabus "list," a misreading of Gk. sittybos (pl. of sittyba "parchment label, table of contents," of unknown origin) in a 1470s edition of Cicero's "Ad Atticum" iv.5 and 8. The proper plural would be syllabi,
rigmarole: 1736, "a long, rambling discourse," from an altered, Kentish colloquial survival of ragman roll "long list or catalogue" (1523), in M.E. a long roll of verses descriptive of personal characters, used in a medieval game of chance called Rageman, perhaps from Anglo-Fr. Ragemon le bon "Ragemon the good," which was the heading on one set of the verses, referring to a character by that name. Sense transferred to "foolish activity or commotion" c.1955, but known orally from 1930s.
bill (1): "written statement," mid-14c., from Anglo-L. billa "list," from M.L. bulla "decree, seal, sealed document," in classical L. "bubble, boss, stud, amulet for the neck" (hence "seal;" see bull (2)). Sense of "account, invoice" first recorded c.1400; that of "order to pay" (technically bill of exchange) is from 1570s; that of "paper money" is from 1660s. Meaning "draft of an act of Parliament" is from 1510s. The verb meaning "to send someone a bill of charge" is from 1867.
tax (v.): late 13c., from O.Fr. taxer "impose a tax" (13c.), from L. taxare "evaluate, estimate, assess, handle," also "censure, charge," probably a frequentative form of tangere "to touch" (see tangent). Sense of "burden, put a strain on" first recorded 1672; that of "censure, reprove" is from 1560s. Use in Luke ii for Gk. apographein "to enter on a list, enroll" is due to Tyndale. The noun is recorded from early 14c. Tax shelter is attested from 1961; taxpayer from 1816.
-ize: suffix forming verbs, M.E. -isen, from O.Fr. -iser, from L.L. -izare, from Gk. -izein. English picked up the Fr. form, but partially reverted to the correct Gk. -z- spelling from late 16c. In Britain, despite the opposition (at least formerly) of OED, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Times of London, and Fowler, -ise remains dominant. Fowler thinks this is to avoid the difficulty of remembering the short list of common words not from Greek (advertise, devise, surprise) which must be spelled with an -s-.
conscription: late 14c., "a putting in writing," from M.Fr. conscription, from L. conscriptionem (nom. conscriptio) "a drawing up of a list, enrollment, a levying of soldiers," from conscribere "to enroll," from com- "with" + scribere "to write" (see script). The sense "compulsory enlistment for military service" (1800) is from the French Republic act of Sept. 5, 1798. Technically, a conscription is the enrollment of a fixed number by lot, with options of providing a substitute.
slate: c.1340, from O.Fr. esclate, fem. of esclat "split piece, splinter" (Fr. éclat, see slat), so called because the rock splits easily into thin plates. As a color, first recorded 1882. Sense of "a writing tablet" (made of slate), first recorded c.1391, led to that of "list of candidates," first recorded 1842. The verb meaning "propose, schedule" is recorded from 1883; sense of "nominate" is attested from 1804. Clean slate (1868) originally referred to scores chalked up in a tavern.
nomenclature: 1610, "a name," from Fr. nomenclature, from L. nomenclatura "calling of names," from nomenclator "namer," from nomen "name" + calator "caller, crier," from calare "call out" (see calendar). Nomenclator in Rome was the title of a steward whose job was to announce visitors, and also of a prompter who helped a stumping politician recall names and pet causes of his constituents. Meaning "list or catalogue of names" first attested 1635; that of "system of naming" is from 1664; sense of "terminology of a science" is from 1789.
magazine: 1583, "place where goods are stored, esp. military ammunition," from M.Fr. magasin "warehouse, depot, store," from It. magazzino, from Arabic makhazin, pl. of makhzan "storehouse," from khazana "to store up." The original sense is almost obsolete; meaning "periodical journal" dates from the publication of the first one, "Gentleman's Magazine," in 1731, from earlier use of the word for a printed list of military stores and information, or in a fig. sense, from the publication being a "storehouse" of information.
slot (1): c.1300, "hollow at the base of the throat above the breastbone," from O.Fr. esclot, of uncertain origin. Sense of "narrow opening into which something else can be fitted" is first recorded 1523. Meaning "middle of the (semi-circular) copy desk at a newspaper," the spot occupied by the chief sub-editor, is recorded from 1917. The sense of "opening in a machine for a coin to be inserted" is from 1888 (slot machine first attested 1891). The sense of "position in a list" is first recorded 1942; verb sense of "designate, appoint" is from 1960s. Slot car first attested 1966.
fabulous: early 15c., from L. fabulosus "celebrated in fable," from fabula (see fable). From "mythical," sense of "incredible" first recorded c.1600. Slang shortening fab first recorded 1957; popularized in reference to The Beatles, c.1963.
"Fabulous (often contracted to fab(s)) and fantastic are also in that long list of words which boys and girls use for a time to express high commendation and then get tired of, such as, to go no farther back than the present century, topping, spiffing, ripping, wizard, super, posh, smashing." [Fowler, 1965]
register (n.): late 14c., from M.L. registrum, alteration of L.L. regesta "list, matters recorded," from L. regesta, neuter pl. of regestus, pp. of regerere "to record," lit. "to carry back," from re- "back" + gerere "carry, bear." Some senses influenced by association with L. regere "to rule." The verb is attested from late 14c., from O.Fr. registrer (13c.). Cash register is from 1875, from earlier meaning "device by which data is automatically recorded" (1830).
item: late 14c., from L. item (adv.) "likewise, just so," used to introduce a new fact or statement, probably from ita "thus," id "it" + adv. ending -tem (cf. idem "the same"). Thus "a statement or maxim" (of the kind formerly introduced by the word item), first recorded 1560s. Meaning "detail of information" (especially in a newspaper) is from 1819; item "sexually linked unmarried couple" is 1970, probably from notion of being an item in the gossip columns. Noun sense of "an article of any kind" (1570s) developed from earlier adv. sense of "moreover, in addition," which was used before every article in a list (such as an inventory or bill). Itemize coined 1864.
matriculate (v.): 1570s, "to admit a student to a college by enrolling his name on the register," from M.L. *matriculare "to register," from L.L. matricula "public register," dim. of L. matrix (gen. matricis) "list, roll," also "sources, womb" (see matrix). The connection of senses in the Latin word seems to be via confusion of Gk. metra "womb" (from meter "mother") and an identical Gk. word meaning "register, lot." Evidently Latin matrix was used to translate both, though it originally shared meaning with only one. Related: Matriculated; matriculating; matriculation.
program (n.): 1633, "public notice," from L.L. programma "proclamation, edict," from Gk. programma (gen. programmatos) "a written public notice," from stem of prographein "to write publicly," from pro- "forth" + graphein "to write." General sense of "a definite plan or scheme" is recorded from 1837. Meaning "list of pieces at a concert, playbill" first recorded 1805 and retains the original sense. That of "objects or events suggested by music" is from 1854. Sense of "broadcasting presentation" is from 1923. Computer sense (n.,v.) is from 1945; hence programmer "person who programs computers," attested from 1948. Spelling programme, sometimes preferred in Britain, is from French and began to be used early 19c. The verb in the fig. sense of "to train to behave in a predetermined way" is from 1963.