A reader recently asked, "Where can I find word etymologies?"
Answer
Merriam-Webster publishes a variety of dictionaries designed for different uses. Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, for native and near-native speakers of American English, includes full etymologies (or word origins), as well as dates of first written usage. To find the Collegiate etymologies, go to Merriam-Webster.com, look up the base form of nearly any word, and scroll down to Origins. You can also find etymologies in the print edition of The Collegiate (at the beginnings of entries) or via the mobile app.
Merriam-Webster’s Learner's Dictionary, intended for students of English, omits etymologies because they are not typically of high interest to language learners. Instead, the Learner’s Dictionary provides more grammatical information, more example sentences and usage information, and full coverage of idioms, all of which are typically of greater interest to learners.
