independent | Search Online Etymology Dictionary

104 entries found.

"a being by itself, independent existence," 1690s, from Medieval Latin aseitas "state of being by itself," from Latin a "from" (see ab-) + se "oneself" (see suicide).

knighthood (n.)

Old English cnihthad "the period between childhood and manhood;" see knight (n.) + -hood. Sense of "rank or dignity of a knight" is from c. 1300, and probably is an independent formation.

part-song (n.)

"vocal composition for two or more independent voices," usually sung without accompaniment, by 1824, from part (n.) in the musical sense + song (n.).

clueless (adj.)

1817, "trackless," from clue (n.) + -less. Meaning "ignorant, uninformed" is by 1943, said to be RAF slang from 1930s. Student slang use by 1985 is perhaps an independent extension along the same line. Related: Cluelessly; cluelessness.

communalism (n.)

"theory or principles of government by independent communes," 1871 (in reference to Paris), from French communalisme; see communal + -ism. Perhaps coined to keep the idea distinct from communisme.

neolocal (adj.)

"Denoting a place of residence chosen by a newly-married couple which is independent of parental or family ties" [OED], 1949, from neo- "new" + local (adj.). Related: Neolocally.

chromatopsy (n.)

also chromatopsia, "color-vision, abnormal condition in which things are seen unnaturally colored or sensations of color are independent of natural cause," 1849, from chromato- + -opsy, from Greek opsis "a sight" (from PIE root *okw- "to see")

sovereignty (n.)

mid-14c., "pre-eminence," from Anglo-French sovereynete, Old French souverainete, from soverain (see sovereign (adj.)). Meaning "authority, rule, supremacy of power or rank" is recorded from late 14c.; sense of "existence as an independent state" is from 1715.

Warfarin (n.)

1950, from WARF, acronym from Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation + -arin, from Coumarin. The organization describes itself as "an independent, nonprofit foundation chartered to support research at the U[niversity of] W[isconsin]-Madison and the designated technology transfer organization for the university."

Senegal

West African nation, independent from 1960, formerly a French colony, by 1783, named for the river through it, which is named perhaps from a local word meaning "navigable." Related: Senegalese.

Page 2

Trending words