Online Etymology Dictionary

special: early 13c., "better than ordinary," from O.Fr. especial, from L. specialis "individual, particular," from species "appearance, kind, sort" (see species). Meaning "marked off from others by some distinguishing quality" is recorded from c.1300. In M.E., also as a noun, meaning "sweetheart, lover." Meaning "special train" is attested from 1866. Special effects first attested 1951. Special interests in U.S. political sense is from 1910. Special pleading first recorded 1680s.
specialize: 1616, "to indicate specially," from special (q.v.). Sense of "engage in a special study or line of business" is first attested 1881; biological sense is from 1851. Specialzation is recorded from 1843. Specialist is first attested 1856 (originally in the medical sense).
specialty: early 14c., from M.Fr. especialte, variant of specialite, from L. specialitatem (nom. specialitas) "peculiarity," from specialis (see special). Speciality is attested from early 15c.; French form spécialité (especially in reference to restaurant dishes) is recorded from 1839.
S.W.A.T.: 1968, acronym for Special Weapons and Tactics squad or team; or Special Weapons Attack Team.
especial: late 14c., from O.Fr. especial "pre-eminent, important," from L. 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 O.Fr. Modern French has restored the word to spécial. Originally with the same sense as special, later restricted to feelings, qualities, etc.
property: c.1300, "nature, quality," later "possession" (a sense rare before 17c.), from an Anglo-Fr. modification of O.Fr. propriete (12c., Fr. propreté), from L. proprietatem (nom. proprietas) "ownership, property, propriety," lit. "special character" (a loan-translation of Gk. idioma), noun of quality from proprius "one's own, special" (see proper). Propertied "holding property" is from 1760. Hot property "sensation, a success" is from 1958.
nonce: abstracted from phrase for þe naness (c.1200) "for a special occasion, for a particular purpose," itself a misdivision of for þan anes "for the one," in reference to a particular occasion or purpose, the þan being from O.E. dative def. article þam. The phrase used from early 14c. as an empty filler in metrical composition. Hence, nonce-word "word coined for a special occasion," 1954.
particularly: "in a special degree, more than others," 1670s, from particular.
pat (adv.): "apt, suitably," 1578, perhaps a special use of pat (n.) in sense of "hitting" the mark. The adj. is 1638, from the adverb.
inlet: 1570, "narrow opening into a coast, arm fo the sea," a special use of M.E. inleten "to let in" (c.1300). Originally a Kentish term.
distinguished: pp. adj. from distinguish; originally "nobly impressive," special sense of "famous, celebrated," recorded from 1714.
tip (v.1): "to slope, overturn," c.1300, possibly from Scand., or a special use of tip (n.). Intransitive sense of "fall over" is recorded from 1530.
sabbat: "witches' sabbath," 1652, from Fr. form of sabbath (q.v.); a special application of that word.
reel (n.2): "lively Highland dance," 1585, probably a special use of the verb sense of reel (n.1). Applied to the music for such a dance from 1591.
cinque ports: 1191 (in Latin), 1297 (in English), from L. quinque portus, Hastings, Sandwich, Dover, Romney, and Hythe, granted special privileges from the crown in return for defense of the Channel in the days before England had a navy.
rip (n1.): "rough water," 1775, perhaps a special use of rip (v.). Originally of seas; application to rivers is from 1857. Rip-tide is attested from 1862.
trusty (adj.): early 13c., "trusting," from trust; meaning "reliable, to be counted on" is from early 14c. The noun meaning "a prisoner granted special privileges as reward for good conduct" is first attested 1855.
jam (n.): "fruit preserve," 1730s, probably a special use of jam (v.) with a sense of "crush fruit into a preserve."
sexist: 1965, on model of racist, coined by Pauline M. Leet, director of special programs at Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, U.S., in a speech which was circulated in mimeograph among feminists. Popularized by use in print in Caroline Bird's introduction to "Born Female" (1968).
Sensurround: 1974, proprietary name for movie special effects apparatus, coined from sense + surround.
bustle (2): "padding in a skirt," 1788, perhaps from Ger. Buschel "bunch, pad," or may be a special use of bustle (1) with ref. to "rustling motion."
pupa: 1773, "post-larval stage of an insect," special use by Linnæus (1758) of L. pupa "girl, doll, puppet" (see pupil (1)) on notion of "undeveloped creature."
manners: "external behavior in social intercourse," late 14c., pl. of manner.
"Under bad manners, as under graver faults, lies very commonly an overestimate of our special individuality, as distinguished from our generic humanity." [Oliver W. Holmes, "The Professor at the Breakfast Table," 1858]
fudge (n.): 1896, Amer.Eng., perhaps a special use of fudge (v.). Interjection is 1766 (Oh, fudge), and the n. meaning "nonsense" is 1791.
morph: as a noun, in biology, 1955; as a verb, in cinematic special effects, c.1987, short for metamorphosis. Related: Morphed; morphing.
mantra: 1808, "that part of the Vedas which contains hymns," from Skt. mantra-s "sacred message or text, charm, spell, counsel," lit. "instrument of thought," related to manyate "thinks." Sense of "special word used for meditation" is first recorded in Eng. 1956.
masque: "masquerade, masked ball," 1514, from M.Fr. masque (see mask). Originally the same word, it developed a special sense of "amateur theatrical performance" (1562) in Elizabethan times, when such entertainments (originally performed in masks) were popular among the nobility.
condominium: c.1714, from Mod.L., "joint sovereignty," apparently coined in Ger. c.1700 from com- "together" + dominum "right of ownership" (see domain). A word in politics and international law until sense of "privately owned apartment" arose in Amer.Eng. 1962 as a special use of the legal term.
mynah: type of passerine bird of India and the East, "talking starling," 1769, from Hindi maina "a starling," from Skt. madana-s "love, passion," with a special sense of "bird."
generic: 1676, "belonging to a large group of objects," formed in Eng. from L. gener-, stem of genus "kind" (see genus). Sense of "not special, not brand-name," of groceries, etc., is from 1977.
enthusiast: c.1600, pejorative, “one who believes himself possessed of divine revelations or special communication from God,” from Gk. enthousiastes, from enthousiazein (see enthusiasm). General sense (not always entirely pejorative) is from mid-18c.
knack: mid-14c., "deception, trick, device," of uncertain origin, probably from a Low Ger. word meaning "a sharp sounding blow" (cf. M.E. knak, late 14c.; Ger. knacken "to crack"), of imitative origin. Sense of "special skill" is first recorded 1580s, if this is in fact the same word.
tack (3): "food," 1833, perhaps a shortening and special use of tackle in the sense of "gear." Hard-tack was originally "ship's biscuit," soft-tack being bread.
top (2): "toy that spins on a point," late O.E. top, probably a special use of top (1), but the modern word is perhaps via O.Fr. topet, which is from a Gmc. source akin to the root of Eng. top (1). As a type of seashell, first recorded 1682.
stripe (2): "a stroke or lash," 1440, probably a special use of stripe (1), from the marks left by a lash. Cf. also Du. strippen "to whip," W.Fris. strips, apparently cognate but not attested as early as the Eng. word.
tar (n.2): "sailor," 1676, probably a special use of tar (n.1), which was a staple for waterproofing aboard old ships (sailors also being jocularly called knights of the tarbrush); or possibly a shortened form of tarpaulin, which was recorded as a nickname for a sailor in 1647, from the tarpaulin garments they wore.
Judaism: 1494 (attested in Anglo-L. from 1251), from L.L. Judaismus (Tertullian), from Gk. Ioudaismos, from Ioudaios "Jew" (see Jew). The Anglo-L. reference is to a special tax levied on the Jews of England.
commissary: mid-14c., "one to whom special duty is entrusted by a higher power," from M.L. commissarius, from L. commissus "entrusted," pp. of committere (see commit). Originally ecclesiastical, the military sense of "official in charge of supply of food, stores, transport" dates to late 15c.
semiotics: study of signs and symbols with special regard to function and origin, 1880, from Gk. semeiotikos "observant of signs," adj. form of semeiosis "indication," from semeioun "to signal," from sema "sign."
jimmy: 1848, variant of jemmy, crowbar much used by burglars, special use of Jemmy, familiar form of proper name James (see jack).
novena: 1745, from M.L. novena, fem. of L. novenus "ninefold," from novem "nine" (see nine). Devotions consisting of special prayers or services on nine successive days.
paparazzi: 1961, from It. Paparazzo (pl. paparazzi) surname of the freelance photographer in Federico Fellini's 1959 film "La Dolce Vita." The name itself is of no special significance; it is said to be a common one in Calabria, and Fellini is said to have borrowed it from a travel book, "By the Ionian Sea," in which occurs the name of hotel owner Coriolano Paparazzo.
relativity: 1834, "fact or condition of being relative," from relative (adj.) (see relative (n.)); first attested in Coleridge. In scientific use, connected to the theory of Albert Einstein (1879-1955), published 1905 (special theory of relativity) and 1915 (general theory of relativity), but the word was used in roughly this sense by J.C. Maxwell in 1876.
sundry: O.E. syndrig "separate, apart, special," related to sundor "separately" (see sunder). Phrase all and sundry first recorded 1389; sundries "odds and ends" is first found 1755.
different: c.1400, from Fr. différent (14c.), from L. differentem "differing, different," prp. of differre "to set apart" (see differ). Colloquial sense of "special" attested by 1912. Related: Differential (1640s); differently.
robust: 1549, from L. robustus "strong and hardy," originally "oaken," from robur, robus "hard timber, strength," also "a special kind of oak," named for its reddish heartwood, from L. ruber "red" (cf. robigo "rust"). Robustious (1548) was a common form in 17c. (cf. "Hamlet" iii.2); it fell from use by mid-18c., but was somewhat revived by mid-19c. antiquarian writers.
allowance: late 14c., "praise" (a sense now obsolete), from O.Fr. alouance, from alouer (see allow). Sense of "a sum alloted to meet expenses" is from mid-15c. In accounts, meaning "a sum placed to one's credit" is attested from 1520s. To make allowances is lit. to add or deduct a sum from someone's account for some special circumstance. Figurative use of the phrase is attested from 1670s.
verve: 1697, "special talent in writing," from Fr. verve "enthusiasm" (especially pertaining to the arts), in O.Fr. "caprice, odd humor, proverb" (12c.), probably from Gallo-Romance *verva, from L. verba "(whimsical) words," plural of verbum "word" (see verb). Meaning "mental vigor" is first recorded 1803.
whiz: "clever person," 1914, probably a special use of whiz "something remarkable" (1908), an extended sense of whizz; or perhaps a shortened form of wizard. Noun phrase whiz kid is from 1930s, a take-off on a radio show's quiz kid.
specific: 1630s, "having a special quality," from Fr. spécifique, from L.L. specificus "constituting a species," from L. species "kind, sort" (see species). Earlier form was specifical (early 15c.). Meaning "definite, precise" first recorded 1740.