Online Etymology Dictionary

ana-: before verbs an-, prefix meaning 1. "upward," 2. "back, backward, against," 3. "again, anew," from Greek ana- "up to, toward, exceedingly, back, against," from ana "up, on, upon, throughout, again," cognate with Old English on, from PIE root *ano- "on, upon, above" (see on).
anabaptism (n.): 1640s (as a Christian doctrine, with capital A-, from 1570s), from Medieval Latin anabaptismus, from Late Greek anabaptismos, from ana- "up (in place or time), back again, anew" (see ana-) + baptismos "baptism" (see baptism).
Anabaptist (n.): 1530s, "one who baptizes over again," from Modern Latin anabaptista, from Latin anabaptismus "second baptism" (used in literal sense from 4c.; see anabaptism).

Originally in English in reference to sect that practiced adult baptism and arose in Germany 1521. Probably so called because, as a new faith, they baptized converts who already had been baptized (as infants) in the older Christian churches. Modern branches only baptize once (adults) and do not actively seek converts. The name also was applied, usually opprobriously, to Baptists, perhaps due to the multiple immersions of their baptisms.
anabasis (n.): 1706, from Greek, "military expedition," literally "a going up (from the coast)," especially in reference to the advance of Cyrus the Younger from near the Aegean coast into Asia, and the subsequent story of the retreat of the 10,000 narrated by Xenophon (401 B.C.E.), from anabainein "to go up, mount;" from ana "up" (see ana-) + bainein "to go" (see come).
anabolic (adj.): "pertaining to the process of building up (especially in metabolism)," 1876, from Greek anabole "that which is thrown up; a mound," from anaballein "to throw or toss up," from ana "up, upward" (see ana-) + ballein "to throw" (see ballistics).
anabolism (n.): 1886; see anabolic + -ism.
anachronism (n.): 1640s, "an error in computing time or finding dates," from Latin anachronismus, from Greek anakhronismos, from anakhronizein "refer to wrong time," from ana- "against" (see ana-) + khronos "time" (see chrono-). Meaning "something out of harmony with the present" first recorded 1816.
anachronistic (adj.): 1775; see anachronism + -istic.
anacoluthon (n.): "want of grammatical sequence; changing constructions in mid-clause," 1706, from Latinized form of Greek anakoluthon, neuter of anakolouthos "inconsequent," from an- "not" (see an- (1)) + akolouthos "following," from copulative prefix a- + keleuthos "way, road, track, path" (see celerity).
anaconda (n.): 1768, a name first used in English to name a Ceylonese python, it was applied erroneously to a large South American boa, called in Brazil sucuriuba. The word is of uncertain origin, and no snake name like it now is found in Sinhalese or Tamil. One suggestion is that it is a Latinization of Sinhalese henacandaya "whip snake," literally "lightning-stem" [Barnhart]. Another suggestion is that it represents Tamil anaikkonda "having killed an elephant" [OED].
Anacreontic (adj.): of or in the manner of Anacreon, "convivial bard of Greece" (literally "Up-lord"), the celebrated Greek lyrical poet (560-478 B.C.E.), born at Teos in Ionia. Also in reference to his lyric form (1706) of a four-line stanza, rhymed alternately, each line with four beats (three trochees and a long syllable), also "convivial and amatory" (1801); and "an erotic poem celebrating love and wine" (1650s).

Francis Scott Key in 1814 set or wrote his poem "The Star-Spangled Banner" to the melody of "To Anacreon in Heav'n," the drinking song of the popular London gentleman's club called The Anacreontic Society, whose membership was dedicated to "wit, harmony, and the god of wine." The tune is late 18c. and may be the work of society member and court musician John Stafford Smith (1750-1836).
anacrusis (n.): "unstressed syllable at the beginning of a verse," 1833, Latinized from Greek anakrousis "a pushing back," of a ship, "backing water," from anakrouein "to push back, stop short, check," from ana- "back" (see ana-) + krouein "to strike," from PIE *kreue- (2) "to push, strike" (source also of Russian krusit, Lithuanian krusu "to smash, shatter," Old Church Slavonic kruchu "piece, bit of food," Old English hreowian "feel pain or sorrow," Old Norse hryggja "make sad").
anadiplosis (n.): "repetition of an initial word," 1580s, from Latin, from Greek anadiplosis, from anadiploesthai "to be doubled back, to be made double," from ana "back" (see ana-) + diploun "to double, fold over" (see diploma).
anadromous (adj.): of fish, "ascending a river to spawn" (as salmon do), 1753, from Latinized form of Greek anadromos "running upward," from ana "up, back" (see ana-) + dramein "to run" (see dromedary).
anaemia (n.): 1824, from French medical term (1761), Modern Latin, from Greek anaimia "lack of blood," from anaimos "bloodless," from an- "without" (see an- (1)) + haima "blood" (see -emia).
anaemic (adj.): c. 1840; see anaemia + -ic. Figurative sense by 1898.
anaerobic (adj.): "capable of living without oxygen," 1879 (as anaerobian; modern form first attested 1884), from French anaérobie, coined 1863 by French bacteriologist Louis Pasteur (1822-1895), from Greek an- "without" (see an- (1)) + aer "air" (see air (n.1)) + bios "life" (see bio-).
anaesthesia (n.): alternative spelling of anesthesia (q.v.). See ae.
anaesthesiologist (n.): alternative spelling of anesthesiologist (q.v.). See ae.
anaesthesiology (n.): alternative spelling of anesthesiology (q.v.). See ae.
anaesthetic (adj.): alternative spelling of anesthetic (q.v.). See ae.
anaesthetist (n.): alternative spelling of anesthetist (q.v.). See ae.
anaesthetize (v.): alternative spelling of anesthetize (q.v.). See ae. Related: Anaesthetized; anaesthetizing.
anagnorisis (n.): c. 1800, from Latin, from Greek anagnorisis "recognition," from anagnorizein "to recognize."
anagram (n.): transposition of letters in a word so as to form another, 1580s, from French anagramme or Modern Latin anagramma (16c.), both from Greek anagrammatizein "transpose letters," from ana- "up, back" (see ana-) + gramma (genitive grammatos) "letter" (see -gram). Related: Anagrammatical; anagrammatically.
anal (adj.): 1769, from Modern Latin analis "of the anus;" see anus. Anal-retentive first attested 1957, in psychological jargon. Anal sex attested as such from 1966.
analects (n.): 1650s, "literary gleanings," from Latinized form of Greek analekta, literally "things chosen," neuter plural of analektos "select, choice," verbal adjective of analegein "to gather up, collect," from ana- "up" (see ana-) + legein "to gather," also "to choose words," hence "to speak" (see lecture (n.)).
analemma (n.): 1650s, from Latin analemma "the pedestal of a sundial," hence the sundial itself, from Greek analemma "prop, support," from analambanein "to receive, take up, restore," from ana- "up" (see ana-) + lambanein "to take," from PIE root *(s)lagw- "to seize, take" (source also of Sanskrit labhate, rabhate "seizes;" Old English læccan "to seize, grasp;" Greek lazomai "I take, grasp;" Old Church Slavonic leca "to catch, snare;" Lithuanian lobis "possession, riches").
analeptic (adj.): 1660s, "restorative, strengthening" (in medicine), from Greek analeptikos "restorative," from analambanein "to receive, take up in one's hands" (see analemma). Related: Analeptical (1610s).
analgesia (n.): "absence of pain," 1706, medical Latin, from Greek analgesia "painlessness, insensibility," from analgetos "without pain, insensible to pain" (also "unfeeling, ruthless"), from an- "not" (see an- (1)) + algein "to feel pain" (see -algia).
analgesic (adj.): "tending to remove pain," 1848, from analgesia + -ic. Alternative form analgetic is preferred by linguistic purists but is less common in use. The noun meaning "an analgesic preparation" recorded by 1860.
analgetic: see analgesic.
analog: chiefly U.S. spelling of analogue (q.v.).
analogize (v.): "explain by analogy," 1650s, from French analogiser (17c.) or directly from Greek analogizesthai "to reckon, sum up," from analogia (see analogy). Related: Analogized; analogizing.
analogous (adj.): 1640s, from Latin analogus, from Greek analogos "proportionate, according to due proportion" (see analogy).
analogue (n.): 1826, "an analogous thing," from French analogue, from Greek analogon (itself used in English from c. 1810), from ana "up to" (see ana-) + logos "account, ratio" (see lecture (n.)). Computing sense is recorded from 1946.
analogy (n.): 1540s (perhaps early 15c.), from Old French analogie or directly from Latin analogia, from Greek analogia "proportion," from ana- "upon, according to" (see ana-) + logos "ratio," also "word, speech, reckoning" (see logos). A mathematical term used in a wider sense by Plato.
analyse (v.): chiefly British English spelling of analyze (q.v.).
Analyse is better than analyze, but merely as being the one of the two equally indefensible forms that has won. The correct but now impossible form would be analysize (or analysise), with analysist for existing analyst. [Fowler]
analysis (n.): 1580s, "resolution of anything complex into simple elements" (opposite of synthesis), from Medieval Latin analysis (15c.), from Greek analysis "a breaking up, a loosening, releasing," noun of action from analyein "unloose, release, set free; to loose a ship from its moorings," in Aristotle, "to analyze," from ana "up, throughout" (see ana-) + lysis "a loosening," from lyein "to unfasten" (see lose). Psychological sense is from 1890. Phrase in the final (or last) analysis (1844), translates French en dernière analyse.
analyst (n.): 1650s, "mathematician skilled in algebraic geometry," from French analyste "a person who analyzes," from analyser (see analysis). As a short form of psychoanalyst, attested from 1914. Greek analyter meant "a deliverer."
analytic (adj.): c. 1600, from Medieval Latin analyticus, from Greek analytikos "analytical," from analytos "dissolved" (see analysis).
analytical (adj.): 1520s, from Medieval Latin analyticus (see analytic) + -al (1). Related: Analytically.
analytics (n.): 1590s as a term in logic, from Latin analytica from Greek analytika (see analytic); also see -ics.
analyze (v.): c. 1600, "to dissect," from French analyser, from analyse (see analysis). Literature sense is attested from 1610s; meaning in chemistry dates from 1660s. General sense of "to examine closely" dates from 1809; psychological sense is from 1909. Related: Analyzed; analyzing.
anamnesis (n.): "recollection, remembrance," 1650s, from Greek anamnesis "a calling to mind, remembrance," noun of action from stem of anamimneskein "to remember, to remind (someone) of (something), make mention of," from ana "back" (see ana-) + mimneskesthai "to recall, cause to remember" (see amnesia). Related: Anamnestic.
anamorphic (adj.): 1904, in geology; see anamorphosis + -ic. Cinematographic use dates from 1954.
anamorphism (n.): "distorted projection or perspective," 1836; see anamorphosis + -ism.
anamorphosis (n.): "distorted projection or drawing that looks normal from a particular angle or with a certain mirror," 1727, from Greek anamorphosis "transformation," noun of action from anamorphoein "to transform," from ana "up" (see ana-) + morphosis, from morphe "form" (see Morpheus).
ananda (n.): in Hindu theology, "bliss," from Sanskrit ananda- "joy, happiness, bliss," from stem of nandati "he rejoices," which is of unknown origin.
Ananias: "liar," a reference to Acts v:3-5.