Online Etymology Dictionary

bene-: word-forming element meaning "well," from Latin bene "well, in the right way, honorably, properly," from PIE *dw-ene-, adverbial form of root *deu- (2) "to do, perform; show favor, revere." From the same source come Latin bonus "good," bellus "handsome, fine, pretty," and possibly beatus "blessed," beare "to make blessed."
bedizen (v.): 1660s, from be- + dizen "to dress" (1610s), especially, from late 18c., "to dress finely, adorn," originally "to dress (a distaff) for spinning" (1520s), and evidently the verbal form of the first element in distaff.
It is remarkable that neither the vb., nor the sb. as a separate word, has been found in OE. or ME., and that on the other hand no vb. corresponding to dizen is known in L.G. or Du. [OED]
Luna (n.): late 14c. "moon," also an alchemical name for "silver;" from Latin luna "moon, goddess of the moon," from *leuksna- (source also of Old Church Slavonic luna "moon," Old Prussian lauxnos "stars," Middle Irish luan "light, moon"), from the same source as lux, lumen "light," lucere "to shine" (see light (n.)). The luna moth (1841, American English) so called for the crescent-shaped markings on its wings. Lunarian (1708) was an early word for "inhabitant of the moon."
matter-of-fact: also matter of fact, 1570s as a noun, originally a legal term (translating Latin res facti), "that portion of an enquiry concerned with the truth or falsehood of alleged facts," opposed to matter of law. As an adjective from 1712. Meaning "prosaic, unimaginative" is from 1787. Related: Matter-of-factly; matter-of-factness. German Tatsache is said to be a loan-translation of the English word.
-logue: word-forming element meaning "one who is immersed in or driven by," mostly from French-derived words, ultimately from Greek -logos, -logon. Now mostly superseded by -loger, -logist except in ideologue and a few others. As a combining element meaning "kind of discourse," it is from French -logue, from Greek -logos.
looker (n.): Old English locere "one engaged in looking," agent noun from look (v.). Meaning "one who watches over" is from c. 1300; that of "one who has a certain appearance" is late 15c. Slang meaning "attractive woman" attested from 1893; good-looker is attested from 1866 of both women and horses. Looker-in (1927) was an early word for "television viewer."
manhood (n.): early 13c., "state of being human," from man (n.) + -hood. Meanings "state of being an adult male," also "manliness," are from late 14c. Similar words in Old English were less explicitly masculine: manscipe "humanity, courtesy," literally "man-ship;" mennisclicnes "state of man, humanity, humaneness, human nature." The more "manly" word was werhad "male sex, virility, manhood" (see first element in werewolf).
-gen: word-forming element technically meaning "something produced," but mainly, in modern use, "thing that produces or causes," from French -gène (18c.), from Greek -genes "born of, produced by," which is from the same source as genos "birth," genea "race, family," from PIE *gene- (see genus). First used in late 18th century French chemistry (see oxygen), it probably involves a misunderstanding of -genes, as though it meant "that which produces."
gent (n.): colloquial shortening of gentleman, by 17c. (in early uses it is difficult to distinguish the shortening from the common abbreviation gent.), which is perhaps the origin of this use. "Early in the nineteenth century the word was colloquial and slightly jocular; about 1840 its use came to be regarded as a mark of low breeding" [OED].
-graphy: word-forming element meaning "process of writing or recording" or "a writing, recording, or description" (in modern use especially in forming names of descriptive sciences), from French or German -graphie, from Greek -graphia "description of," used in abstract nouns from graphein "write, express by written characters," earlier "to draw, represent by lines drawn," originally "to scrape, scratch" (on clay tablets with a stylus), from PIE root *gerbh- "to scratch, carve" (see carve).
grenadier (n.): 1670s, originally a word for soldiers "who were dexterous in flinging hand-granados" [Evelyn], from French grenadier (15c.), from Middle French grenade "grenade" (see grenade); later "the tallest and finest men in the regiment" [OED]. Grenades went out of use in 18c., but the name was retained by certain companies of regiments.
haver (n.1): "oats," Northern English, late 13c., probably from Old Norse hafre, from Proto-Germanic *habron- (source also of Old Norse hafri, Old Saxon havoro, Dutch haver, Old High German habaro, German Haber, Hafer). Buck suggests it is perhaps literally "goat-food" and compares Old Norse hafr "he-goat." "Haver is a common word in the northern countries for oats." [Johnson]
honeycomb (n.): Old English hunigcamb; see honey (n.) + comb (n). Probably the image is from wool combing. Transferred use, in reference to various structures resembling honeycomb, from 1520s. The image is not found outside English; in other Germanic languages the word for it is "honey-string," "honey-cake," "bee-wafer," etc. Latin has favus, Greek melikerion. As a verb, from 1620s (implied in honeycombed).
guaranty (n.): "act or fact of guaranteeing, a being answerable for the obligations of another," 1590s, garrantye, from earlier garant (see guarantee (n.)) with influence from Old French garantie "protection, defense; safeguard, warranty," originally past participle of garantir "to protect," from the same source. The sense of "pledge given as security" that developed 17c. in guarantee might reasonably have left the sense "act of guaranteeing" to this form of the word, but the forms remain confused.
habitant (n.): late 15c., "a dweller, a resident," from Old French habitant, abitant "inhabitant," from noun use of Latin habitantis, genitive plural of habitans, present participle of habitare "to live, inhabit, dwell," frequentative of habere "to have, to hold, possess" (see habit (n.)). Specific meaning "a native Canadian of French descent" attested by 1789; it was the usual word for small farmers in 18c. Quebec.
heliograph (n.): 1848, "instrument for taking photographs of the sun," from helio- "sun" + -graph "something written." Earlier, "a description of the sun" (1706, implied in heliographic). From 1877 as the name of a movable mirror used in signaling. Related: Heliographical.

Heliography (1845) was the word for the product of a type of engraving process by chemical reaction from exposure to sunlight. It also was an early term for what came to be called photography (1840).
hostess (n.): late 13c., "woman who keeps an inn or public hotel," from host (n.1) + -ess, or from Old French ostesse, hostesse "hostess; servant; guest" (Modern French hôtesse). Old French also had ostelaine; the Latin word was hospita. Meaning "woman who presides at a dinner party, etc." recorded by 1822. Also used mid-20c. in sense "female who entertains customers in nightclubs," with overtones of prostitution.
heteronym (n.): "word having the same spelling as another but with a different sound and meaning," 1889, also "a thing's name in one language that is an exact translation of its name in another" (1885); from hetero- "other, different" + -onym "name" (see name (n.)). Distinction from a homonym is that a homonym has not the same spelling. Related: Heteronymic; heteronymous.
Hong Kong: former British colony in China, from Cantonese pronunciation of Chinese Xianggang, literally "fragrant port." Perhaps so called from the scent of incense factories or opium cargoes, or from the semi-fresh waters of the bay. The Cantonese word hong, literally "row, series" was the general English term for foreign trading establishments in China (warehouse viewed as a row of rooms).
indite (v.): formerly also endite, late 14c., "put down in writing," from Old French enditer, enditier "dictate, write; draw up, draft; (legally) indict," from Vulgar Latin *indictare, from Latin in- "in, into, on, upon" (see in- (2)) + dictare "to declare" (see dictate (v.)). The same word as indict but retaining a French form. Related: Indited; inditing.
inhabitable (adj.): 1. "not habitable," late 14c., from Old French inhabitable (14c.), from Latin inhabitabilis, from in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + habitabilis (see habitable).

2. "capable of being inhabited" (the main modern sense), c. 1600, from inhabit + -able). In Late Latin, inhabitabilis also was used in a sense of "that can be inhabited." A word used in two opposite senses.
innervate (v.): "stimulate through the nerves," 1870, a back-formation from innervation "sending of a stimulus through the nerves" (1828), which is perhaps modeled on French innervation; see in- (2) "in" + nerve (n.) + -ate. Related: Innervated. Earlier in English the same word (but from the other in-) meant "to lose feeling or sensation" (1848), and, as an adjective, "without feeling" (1737). Innervation in psychology is from 1880, translated from German Innervationsgefühl.
iso-: before vowels often is-, word-forming element meaning "equal, similar, identical; isometric," from Greek isos "equal to, the same as; equally divided; fair, impartial (of persons); even, level (of ground)," as in isometor "like one's mother." In English used properly only with words of Greek origin; the Latin equivalent is equi- (see equi-).
impotence (n.): early 15c., "physical weakness," also "poverty," from Old French impotence "weakness" (13c.), from Latin impotentia "lack of control or power," from impotentem "lacking control, powerless" (see impotent). In reference to a complete want of (male) sexual potency, from c. 1500. The figurative senses of the word in Latin were "violence, fury, unbridled passion," via the notion of "want of self-restraining power," and these sometimes were used in English. Related: Impotency.
inanition (n.): in medicine, "exhaustion from lack of nourishment," c. 1400, "pathological draining or depletion of blood, humors, or bodily fluids," from Old French inanition (14c.) and directly from Latin inanitionem (nominative inanitio) "emptiness," noun of action from past participle stem of inanire "to empty," from inanis "empty, void; worthless, useless," a word of uncertain origin.
inanimate (adj.): early 15c., "without vital force,having lost life," from Late Latin inanimatus "lifeless," from in- "not" (see in- (1)) + animatus (see animation). The Latin word closest corresponding in form and sense is inanimalis. Meaning "lacking vivacity, without spirit, dull" is from 1734. Inanimate as a verb meant "infuse with life or vigor" (17c.), from the other in- (see in- (2)).
inanity (n.): c. 1600, "emptiness, hollowness," literal and figurative, from French inanité (14c.) or directly from Latin inanitas "emptiness, empty space," figuratively "worthlessness," noun of quality from inanis "empty, void; worthless, useless," a word of uncertain origin. De Vaan writes that "The chronology of attestations suggests that 'empty, devoid of' is older than 'hollow'." Meaning "silliness, want of intelligence" is from 1753.
infancy (n.): late 14c., "condition of babyhood," also "childhood, youth," from Anglo-French enfaunce and directly from Latin infantia "early childhood," from infantem "young child," literally "one unable to speak" (see infant). Restriction to the earliest months of life is a return to the etymological sense of the word but is a recent development in English. In old legal language it meant "condition of being a minor" and could mean any age up to 21.
infiltration (n.): "action or process of infiltrating," in physics, 1796, noun of action from infiltrate. Figurative sense of "a passing into" (anything immaterial) is from 1840; military sense of "stealthy penetration of enemy lines" dates from 1930. The same word had been used earlier in a medical sense of "a knitting together" (early 15c.), from Medieval Latin infiltratio.
interrogative (adj.): "asking or denoting a question," c. 1500, from Late Latin interrogativus "pertaining to a question," from interrogat-, past participle stem of Latin interrogare "to ask, question, inquire; interrogate judicially, cross-examine," from inter- "between" (see inter-) + rogare "to ask, to question" (see rogation). As a noun, "word implying a question," 1520s. Related: Interrogatively.
Jazz Age: 1921; see jazz (n.); popularized 1922 in writings of F. Scott Fitzgerald; usually regarded as the years between the end of World War I (1918) and the Stock Market crash of 1929.
We are living in a jazz age of super-accentuated rhythm in all things; in a rhythm that (to "jazz" a word) is super-normal, a rhythm which is the back-flare from the rhythm of a super war. ["Jacobs' Band Monthly," Jan. 1921]
journeyman (n.): "qualified worker at a craft or trade who works for wages for another" (a position between apprentice and master), early 15c., from journey (n.), preserving the etymological sense of the word ("a day"), + man (n.). Deprecatory figurative sense of "hireling, drudge" is from 1540s. Its American English colloquial shortening jour (adj.) is attested from 1835.
kerygma (n.): "preaching," 1879, from Greek kerygma "proclamation, that which is cried by a herald, public notice," used in the Greek New Testament for "preaching," from keryssein "to proclaim, to cry (as a herald)," from or related to keryx "herald, messenger," a word of uncertain origin, perhaps from PIE root *kar- (2) "to praise loudly," but Beekes says probably pre-Greek. Related: Kerygmatic.
kindly (adj.): c. 1200, cundelich, "natural, right, lawful," from Old English gecyndelic "natural, innate; in accordance with the laws or processes of nature, suitable, lawful" (of birth, etc.); see kind (adj.) + -ly (1). From late 14c. as "pleasant, agreeable;" from 1560s as "full of loving courtesy." Related: Kindliness. The Old English word also meant "pertaining to generation," hence cyndlim "womb," in plural "genitalia," literally "kind-limb."
Kuwait: Persian Gulf country, named for its capital city (said to have been founded in current form 1705), which is from Arabic al-kuwayt, diminutive of kut, a word used in southern Iraq and eastern Arabia for a fortress-like house surrounded by a settlement and protected by encircling water, and said to be ultimately from Persian. Related: Kuwaiti.
kinsman (n.): "man of the same race or family; one related by blood," c. 1200, kenesmen, from late Old English cynnes mannum; see kin + man. Kinswoman is recorded from c. 1400. "The word is commonly and properly used only of a relative by blood, in contradistinction to relatives by marriage, who are properly termed affines" [Century Dictionary, 1902].
natron (n.): 1680s, from French natron (1660s), which is said to be directly from Arabic natrun, itself from Greek nitron, itself possibly of Eastern origin (see nitre). Medieval Latin and Paracelsus (16c.) had a form anatron, from Arabic with the article assimilated (an-natron). It is the source of the chemical symbol Na for sodium and the word-forming element natro-, used in the names of minerals to indicate the presence of sodium.
China (n.): Asian country name, 1550s, of uncertain origin, probably ultimately from Sanskrit Cina-s "the Chinese" (earliest European usage is in Italian, by Marco Polo), perhaps from Qin dynasty, which ruled 3c. B.C.E. Latinized as Sina, hence sinologist. The Chinese word for the country is Chung-kuo (Wade-Giles), Zhongguo (Pinyin).
nim (v.): "to take, to steal" (archaic), Old English niman "to take, accept, receive, grasp, catch" (cognates: Old Frisian nima, Middle Dutch nemen, German nehmen, Gothic niman; see nimble). The native word, replaced by Scandinavian-derived take (v.) and out of use from c. 1500 except in slang sense of "to steal," which endured into 19c.
Niger: African nation, named for the river Niger, mentioned by that name 1520s (Leo Africanus), probably an alteration (by influence of Latin niger "black") of a local Tuareg name, egereou n-igereouen, from egereou "big river, sea" + n-igereouen, plural of that word. Translated in Arabic as nahr al-anhur "river of rivers."
nitre (n.): c. 1400, "native sodium carbonate," from Old French nitre (13c.), from Latin nitrum, from Greek nitron, which is possibly of Eastern origin (compare Hebrew nether "carbonate of soda;" Egyptian ntr). Originally a word for native soda, but also associated from Middle Ages with saltpeter (potassium nitrate) for obscure reasons; this became the predominant sense by late 16c.
governance (n.): late 14c., "act or manner of governing," from Old French governance "government, rule, administration; (rule of) conduct" (Modern French gouvernance), from governer "to govern, rule, command" (see govern). Fowler writes that the word "has now the dignity of incipient archaism," but it might continue useful in its original sense as government comes to mean primarily "the governing power in a state."
extra-: word-forming element meaning "outside; beyond the scope of; in addition to what is usual or expected," in classical Latin recorded only in extraordinarius, but more used in Medieval Latin and modern formations; it represents Latin extra (adv.) "on the outside, without, except," the old fem. ablative singular of exterus "outward, outside," comparative of ex "out of" (see ex-).
sleave (v.): "to separate or divide" (threads, strands, fibers), Old English -slæfan, from stem of -slifan "to separate, split, cleave," from Proto-Germanic *slifanan, perhaps related to the root of slip (v.). Compare German Schleife "a loop, knot, noose." Related: Sleaved; sleaving. As a noun, "knotted, tangled silk or thread," 1590s, from the verb; this is the word in Shakespeare's rauel'd Sleeue of Care ("Macbeth").
something (pron.): Old English sum þinge; see some + thing. Hyphenated from c. 1300; one word from 17c. Formerly common as an adverb (as in something like). Meaning "some liquor, food, etc." is from 1570s. Meaning "a thing worthy of consideration" is from 1580s; emphatic form something else is from 1909. Phrase something for nothing is from 1816. To make something of is from 1778.
haze (n.): "opaqueness of the atmosphere," 1706, probably a back-formation of hazy (q.v.). Sense of "confusion, vagueness" is 1797. The differentiation of haze, mist, fog (and other dialectal words) is unmatched in other tongues, where the same word generally covers all three and often "cloud" as well; this may be an effect of the English climate on the English language.
seduction (n.): 1520s, from Middle French séduction, from Latin seductionem (nominative seductio), noun of action from past participle stem of seducere (see seduce). Originally with reference to actions or beliefs; sexual sense is from 1769, originally always with women as the objects. Earlier appearance of the word in Middle English with a sense "treason, treachery" probably is a confusion with sedition, which confusion also is found in Old French seducion "treason, betrayal."
senator (n.): c. 1200, "member of an (ancient) senate," from Old French senator (Modern French sénateur), from Latin senator "member of the senate," from senex "old; old man" (see senate). An Old English word for one was folcwita. As "member of a (modern) governing body" from late 14c.; specifically in U.S. use from 1788. Fem. form senatress attested from 1731. The Senators was the name of the professional baseball team in Washington, D.C., from 1891 to 1971.
doolally (adj.): "insane, eccentric," British slang, by 1917 in the armed services and in full doolally tap (with Urdu word for "fever"), from Deolali, near Bombay, India, which was a military camp (established 1861) with a large barracks and a chief staging point for British troops on their way to or from India; the reference is to men whose enlistments had expired who waited there impatiently for transport home.
creampuff (n.): also cream puff, by 1859 as a kind of light confection, from cream (n.) + puff (n.). In figurative sense of "weakling, sissy," it is recorded from 1935.
I remember my first campaign. My opponent called me a cream puff. That's what he said. Well, I rushed out and got the baker's union to endorse me. [Sen. Claiborne Pell, D-R.I., 1987]
As a salesman's word, "something that is a tremendous bargain," it is from 1940s.