Online Etymology Dictionary

y-: perfective prefix, in yclept, etc.; a deliberate archaism, introduced by Spenser and his imitators, representing an authentic Middle English prefix y-, earlier i-, from Old English ge-, originally meaning "with, together" but later a completive or perfective element, from Proto-Germanic *ga- "together, with" (also a collective and intensive prefix), from PIE *kom "beside, near, by, with" (cognate with Sanskrit ja-, Latin com-, cum-; see com-). It is still living in German and Dutch ge-, and survives, disguised, in some English words (such as alike, aware, handiwork).

Among hundreds of Middle English words it formed are yfallen, yhacked ("completely hacked," probably now again useful), yknow, ymarried, ywrought.
unloose (v.): mid-14c., "relax;" late 14c., "to set free," from un- (2), used here emphatically, + loose (v.). Old English had unliesan "unloose, set free." Related: Unloosed; unloosing.
unlock (v.): c. 1400, from un- (2) "reverse, opposite of" + lock (v.). Figurative sense is attested from 1530s. Old English had unlucan "to unlock, open." Related: Unlocked; unlocking.
underlay (v.): Old English under lecgan "to support by placing something beneath;" see under + lay (v.). Related: Underlaid; underlaying. Compare similarly formed Old High German Related: untarleccan, German unterlegen.
ungird (v.): Old English ongyrde, from un- (2) "opposite of" + gird (v.). Similar formation in Middle Dutch ontgorden, Old High German ingurten, German entgürten. Related: Ungirded; ungirding.
Creek: Indian tribe or confederation, 1725, named for creek, the geographical feature, and abbreviated from Ochese Creek Indians, from the place in Georgia where English first encountered them. Native name is Muskogee, a word of uncertain origin.
Baghdad: a pre-Islamic name apparently of Indo-European origin and probably meaning "gift of god," with the first element related to Russian bog "god" and the second to English donor. Marco Polo (13c.) wrote it Baudac.
harbour: chiefly British English spelling of harbor (n. and v.); for spelling, see -or. In this case it is considered to be without etymological justification and probably by analogy of labour.
Bosnia: named for the River Bosna, which is perhaps from an Indo-European root *bhog- "current." As a name or adjective for someone there, Bosnian (1788) is older in English than Bosniac (1836, from Russian Bosnyak).
antsy (adj.): 1838, American English, from plural of ant + -y (2); probably reflecting the same image as the slang expression have ants in (one's) pants "be restless and fidgety" from a century later. Related: Antsiness.
assemblage (n.): c. 1704, from French assemblage "gathering, assemblage," from assembler (see assemble). Earlier English words in the same sense include assemblement, assemblance (both late 15c.).
ampul (n.): sealed container holding a dose of medicine, 1907, from French ampul (1886), from Latin ampulla (see ampoule). A modern borrowing of the word represented by Middle English ampoule.
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.
labour: chiefly British English spelling of labor (q.v.); for spelling, see -or. With capital L-, short for "the British Labour Party," it is attested from 1892; the party name itself is from 1886.
fought: past tense and past participle of fight (v.). The past participle form foughten (Old English fohten) has been archaic since 18c. but occasionally appears in the phrase foughten field.
A.A.: also AA, abbreviation of Alcoholics Anonymous, attested by 1941, American English. The group name was the title of a book published in 1938 by the founder, Bill W.
Armenian: 1590s, "a native of Armenia," from Armenia (late 14c. in English), place name traced to 521 C.E., but which is of uncertain origin. As the name of the language, by 1718; as an adjective, by 1727.
aforethought (adj.): 1580s, from afore + past tense of think. Apparently an English loan-translation of Old French legalese word prepense (see prepense) in malice prepense "malice aforethought" (Coke).
alienist (n.): "one who treats mental illness, 'mad doctor,' " 1864, from French aliéniste, from alienation in the sense of "insanity, loss of mental faculty," a sense attested in English from late 15c. (see alienate).
animadvert (v.): early 15c., "to take notice of," from Latin animadvertere "to notice, to take cognizance of," also "to censure, blame, punish," literally "to turn the mind to" (see animadversion). Sense of "to criticize, blame, censure" in English is from 1660s. Related: Animadverted; animadverting.
annexation (n.): 1620s, from Medieval Latin annexiationem (nominative annexatio) "action of annexing," noun of action from past participle stem of annexare (see annex). The Middle English noun form was annexion "union; joining; territory acquired" (mid-15c.).
announcement (n.): 1798, from French announcement, from Old French anoncier (see announce). Or else formed in English from announce + -ment. Earlier in same sense was announcing.
say (n.): "what someone says," 1570s, from say (v.). Meaning "right or authority to influence a decision" is from 1610s. Extended form say-so is first recorded 1630s. Compare Old English secge "speech."
stein (n.): earthenware mug, 1855, from German Stein, shortened form of Steinkrug "stone jug," from Stein "stone" (see stone (n.)) + Krug "jug, jar." Compare Old English stæne "pitcher, jug."
stickleback (n.): c. 1400, from Old English sticel "prick, sting, goad, thorn" (from Proto-Germanic *stik- "pierce, prick, be sharp;" see stick (v.)) + back (n.).
stile (n.): Old English stigel, stile "device for climbing, ladder," related to stigen "to climb," from Proto-Germanic *stig- "to climb" (see stair). An arrangement to allow persons to pass but not sheep and cattle.
Salisbury steak (n.): 1897, from J.H. Salisbury (1823-1905), U.S. physician and food specialist, who promoted it. Incorrect use for "hamburger" traces to World War I and the deliberate attempt to purify American English of German loan words.
swag (v.): "to move heavily or unsteadily," 1520s, probably from a Scandinavian source akin to Old Norse sveggja "to swing, sway," from the same source as Old English swingan "to swing" (see swing (v.)). Related: Swagged; swagging.
swill (v.): Old English swilian, swillan "to wash out, gargle," probably from Proto-Germanic *swil-, related to the root of swallow (v.). Meaning "drink greedily" is from 1530s. Related: Swilled; swilling.
swivel (n.): c. 1300, "coupling device that allows independent rotation," from frequentative form of stem of Old English verb swifan "to move in a course, revolve, sweep" (a class I strong verb), from Proto-Germanic *swif- (source also of Old Frisian swiva "to be uncertain," Old Norse svifa "to rove, ramble, drift"), from PIE root *swei- (2) "to turn, bend, move in a sweeping manner."

Related Middle English swive was the principal slang verb for "to have sexual intercourse with," a sense that developed c. 1300. This probably explains why, though the root is verbal, the verb swivel is not attested in Modern English until 1794. Compare Middle English phrase smal-swivinge men "men who copulate infrequently."
syrinx (n.): tubular instrument, c. 1600, the thing itself known from 14c. in English, from Late Latin syrinx, from Greek syrinx "shepherd's pipe" (see syringe). Used of vocal organs of birds from 1872.
sanderling (n.): wading bird (Crocethia alba), c. 1600, probably from sand (n.) + diminutive suffix -ling, but OED suggests possible derivation from Old English *sand-yrðling, with second element yrðling "plowman" (literally "earthling").
sans-serif: also sanserif, 1830, from French sans "without" (see sans) + English serif, from earlier ceref, perhaps from Dutch schreef "a line, a stroke," related to schrijven "to write," from Latin scribere (see script (n.)).
aye (interj.): word of assent, 1570s, of unknown origin, perhaps a variant of I, meaning "I assent;" or an alteration of Middle English yai "yes" (see yea), or from aye (adv.) "always, ever."
shiver (v.1): "shake," c. 1400, alteration of chiveren (c. 1200), of uncertain origin, perhaps from Old English ceafl "jaw," on notion of chattering teeth. Spelling change of ch- to sh- is probably from influence of shake. Related: Shivered; shivering.
shoal (n.2): "large number" (especially of fish), 1570s, apparently identical with Old English scolu "band, troop, crowd of fish" (see school (n.2)); but perhaps rather a 16c. adoption of cognate Middle Dutch schole.
Shakespeare: surname recorded from 1248; it means "a spearman." This was a common type of English surname (Shakelance (1275), Shakeshaft (1332)). Shake (v.) in the sense of "to brandish or flourish (a weapon)" is attested from late Old English
Heo scæken on heore honden speren swiðe stronge. [Laymon, "Brut," c. 1205]
Compare also shake-buckler "a swaggerer, a bully;" shake-rag "ragged fellow, tatterdemalion." "Never a name in English nomenclature so simple or so certain in origin. It is exactly what it looks -- Shakespear" [Bardsley, "Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames," 1901]. Nevertheless, speculation flourishes. The name was variously written in contemporary records, also Shakespear, Shakespere, the last form being the one adopted by the New Shakespere Society of London and the first edition of the OED. Related: Shakespearian (1753); Shakesperean (1796); Shakesperian (1755).
shanghai (v.): "to drug a man unconscious and ship him as a sailor," 1854, American English, from the practice of kidnapping to fill the crews of ships making extended voyages, such as to the Chinese seaport of Shanghai.
schnauzer (n.): breed of terrier, 1923, from German Schnauzer, literally "growler," from schnauzen "to snarl, growl," from Schnauze "snout, muzzle," which is related to Middle English snute, snoute "snout" (see snout).
scientist (n.): 1834, a hybrid coined from Latin scientia (see science) by the Rev. William Whewell (1794-1866), English polymath, by analogy with artist, in the same paragraph in which he coined physicist (q.v.).
shrill (adj.): late 14c., schrylle "high-pitched, piercing" (of the voice), probably related to Old English scralletan "to sound loudly" and of imitative origin (compare Low German schrell, German schrill "piercing, shrill"). Related: Shrillness; shrilly (adv.).
sleek (adj.): 1580s, variant of Middle English slike (see slick (adj.)). Originally of healthy-looking animal hair; applied to persons 1630s, with sense of "plump and smooth-skinned." Figurative meaning "slick, fawning, flattering" is from 1590s.
sleeve (n.): Old English sliefe (West Saxon), slefe (Mercian) "arm-covering part of a garment," probably literally "that into which the arm slips," from Proto-Germanic *slaubjon (source also of Middle Low German sloven "to dress carelessly," Old High German sloufen "to put on or off"). Related to Old English slefan, sliefan "to slip on (clothes)" and slupan "to slip, glide," from PIE root *sleubh- "to slide, slip."

Compare slipper, Old English slefescoh "slipper," slip (n.2) "woman's garment," and expression slip into "dress in." Mechanical sense is attested from 1864. Meaning "the English Channel" translates French La Manche. To have something up one's sleeve is recorded from c. 1500 (large sleeves formerly doubled as pockets). To wear one's heart on (one's) sleeve is from "Othello" (1604).
slink (v.): Old English slincan "to creep, crawl" (of reptiles), from Proto-Germanic *slinkan (source also of Swedish slinka "to glide," Dutch slinken "to shrink, shrivel;" related to sling (v.)). Of persons, attested from late 14c. Related: Slinked; slinking.
slough (v.): "to cast off" (as the skin of a snake or other animal), 1720, originally of diseased tissue, from Middle English noun slough "shed skin of a snake" (see slough (n.)). Related: Sloughed; sloughing.
slurry (n.): mid-15c., "mud, slime, semi-fluid mix of water and dirt or clay," probably related to Middle English sloor "thin or fluid mud" (see slur (n.)).
scow (n.): "large flat-bottomed boat," 1780, from Dutch schouw "a ferry boat, punt," from Middle Dutch scouwe, related to Old English scaldan, Old Saxon scaldan "to push (a boat) from shore."
screed (n.): early 14c., "fragment," also "strip of cloth," from northern England dialectal variant of Old English screade (see shred (n.)). Meaning "lengthy speech" is first recorded 1789, from notion of reading from a long list.
scroggy (adj.): "overgrown with bushes," Scottish and northern English, mid-15c., from scrog (n.) "a stunted bush, a shrub-like plant" (c. 1400), probably related to scrag "a lean person or thing" (1570s); compare scraggly.
Scrooge (n.): generic for "miser," 1940, from curmudgeonly character in Dickens' 1843 story "A Christmas Carol." It does not appear to be a genuine English surname, but it is an 18c. variant of scrounge.