English Wordbook/I
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< English Wordbook
Staff I of the English Wordbook.
Basic abbreviations: att'd=attested, OE=Old English, NHG=New High German, Du.=Dutch
For a full list of etymological and other abbreviations used in these wordlists, see Forshortenings.
| English | Word Class | Anglish | ||
| Attested | Not attested | |||
| -ic | sfx | -ish (<OE "-isc"), -sh (<OE "-sc"), -some, -ly | - | |
| icthyology | n | - | fishlore | |
| idea | n | thought | thank (<OE þanc "thought, idea", cf. NHG Gedanke) forstelling (calque of NHG Vorstellung) plan: howe (OE hogian) | |
| identical | adj | selfsame (att'd) | - | |
| identify | vb | - | onget, atoken, underknow (cf. Du. onderkennen) | |
| identity | n | who-ness, whohood, selfhood | - | |
| ideology | n | - | thoughtset, thoughtthede, thoughtguide | |
| idiosyncrasy | n | quirk | - | |
| idiot | n | nare, dork, lowmind, dumbass | - | |
| idol | n | - | wigh (<OE. wīġ) offgod (cf. NHG Abgott, Du. afgod) | |
| idolatry | n | - | wighworship, wighworthing (<OE wīġweorþung) | |
| i.e. | abbrev. | t.i. ~ that is | - | |
| -ify | afx | - | be- -ledge (<OE -læcan), -ly | |
| igloo | n | - | icehouse, snowhouse | |
| ignite | vb | kindle, light, spark, fire | fang afire, onburn, onfire | |
| ignorance | n | unskill, dullness, unknowingness, witlessness, unwittleness, unwitness | - | |
| ignorant | adj | dumb, dull, unknowing, witless, loreless, unwittened, unwittle backward, benighted, untaught, bookless, nyten | - | |
| ignore | vb | snub, overlook | misheed, waymind, unheed | |
| ignus fatuus | n | will-o-the-wisp | wander light (cf. Du dwaallicht) | |
| ill-conceived | adj | misbegotten, ill-thought-up | - | |
| ill-looking | adj | sallow, sickly, yellowish | - | |
| illegal | adj | unlawful | - | |
| illegalise | vb | outlaw | - | |
| illegimate | adj | misbegotten, ill-gotten, unrightful | - | |
| illuminate(tion) | vb/n | - | belighten(ing), onlight(ing),forlighten(ing) | |
| illusion | n | swike, missight | dwimmer, brainshade(cf. Du. hersenschim) | |
| imitate(tion) | vb/n | ape(ing), fake, pinchbacl | aftermake, afterfollowing (cf. Du. namaak, navolging) | |
| impale | vb | gride, skewer, spit, thrill through, forthrill | - | |
| image | n | - | bild/build (<OE biliþ, cf. Du. beeld, NHG Bild, Swed. bild) likeness, onbuild, onlyness | |
| imagination | n | mind's eye | moodseave (<OE módsefa) forestelling (cf. NHG Vorstellung) mind's eye | |
| imaginative | adj | thoughtful | weenful, mindmealing | |
| imagine | vb | - | ween (<OE wénan) forestell (calque of NHG vorstellen)see in (one's) mind('s) eye, mindsee | |
| immanent | adj | indwelling, inborn | - | |
| immature | adj | childish, young, youthful, green, unripe, underripe, babyish, untimely, callow | - | |
| immediately | adv | forthwith | swithsoon, ayenow, alnow | |
| immigrant | n | incomer, comeling, drifter | inwanderer | |
| immigrate(tion) | vb/n | - | inwander(ing) | |
| imminent | adj | at hand, bearing nigh, forthcoming, incoming, looming, near, nigh, oncoming, upcoming, withbearing, threathening | unfrothering (cf. Du. onveranderlijk) | |
| immoral | adj | sinful, wrongful, unrighteous | unsetly (cf. NHG unsittlich) | |
| immortal | adj | undying, everlasting, deathless | undeathly, unkillingly | |
| immutable | adj | unbending, unbroken, steadfast, ungiving, unyielding | unwending, neverwent | |
| impact | n | 1. sway, bearing upon
2. hit, strike, blow, weight, knock-on | - | |
| impair | vb | ding, blight, harm, hurt, put back, hinder, undermine, eat away | - | |
| impartial | adj | evenhanded, fair-minded | unswayed | |
| impasse | n | deadlock, dead-end, stand-off, standstill, stop, halt | - | |
| impassive | adj | cool, cold, unfeelingly, deadpan, wooden | - | |
| impede | vb | hinder, lett, hold back, slow, stunt | - | |
| impenetrable | adj | fast, alltight | evertight, neversome, everwaring | |
| imperative | adj | - | bebidendly (<OE bebeodendlic) | |
| imperialism | n | - | overlordship, banishness, worldoverlordship, worldrikedom | |
| impertinent | adj | bold, shameless, unashamed, brash, brazen, forward, meddlesome, uncalled-for | unforshamed (cf. NHG unverschämt) | |
| implicate | adj | inmesh, tnsnarl, intangle be wrapped up in | - | |
| implicit | adj | 1. unsaid, unspoken, unuttered, wordless | 2. person: unspelling | |
| implode | vb | inburst, fall in | - | |
| implore | vb | beseech, bid, beg | - | |
| imply | vb | hint, infold | - | |
| impolite | adj | lewd, unseemly | - | |
| importance | n | heftyness, standing, meaning, weightiness, pith, pithiness, heft, weight | - | |
| important | adj | hefty, weighty, meaningful, pithy, high-standing, key | - | |
| important function | n | - | highthaning (<OE héahþegnung) | |
| impose | vb | burden (with), put upon, saddle, foist | - | |
| impossible | adj | - | uncanly, unmayly, unmightly
undoughtbefall, undowedbefall, unacomingly | |
| imprint | n | mark, stamp | inthrick | |
| imprison | vb | lock up, jug | beheft, inheft | |
| impromptu | adj | offhand | - | |
| improper | adj | unseemly, uncomely, untoward, unbecoming | - | |
| improve(ment) | vb/n | boost, better, shape up | booten, batten forbetter(ing) (cf. Fr. ferbettering, Du. verbetering, Swe. förbättring) | |
| improvised | adj | makeshift | twoth-rigged | |
| impudence | n | gall, boldness, shamelessness | - | |
| impulse | n | whim | - | |
| impurity | n | filthiness, dirtiness, gall, unsiverness | unswotelness, uncleanness | |
| inadvertence | n | oversight, unmindfulness, heedlessness, carelessness, wrecklessness | - | |
| inalienable | adj | - | unforfremdbere (Du. onvervreemdbaar) | |
| inane | adj | mindless | - | |
| inanimate | adj | without life, still, lifeless | orlifele, unbesouled (cf. Du. onbezield) | |
| inappropriate | adj | unfitting, unbecoming, unbeseeming | - | |
| inaudible | adj | - | unhearingly | |
| incalculable | adj | untold | unreckoningly | |
| incantation | n | - | galdercwide (<OE galdorcwide) | |
| incarnate(tion) | vb/n | inflesh(ing) | - | |
| in case | conj | lest, for fear that, the less | - | |
| inception | n | beginning, onset | - | |
| incest | n | - | siblair, siblay, inbreeding bloodshame (calque from continental Germanic langs.) | |
| incident | n | hap, happening | - | |
| incise(sion) | vb/n | cut, slit | snithe(ing) (<OE sniþan) | |
| incisive | adj | cutting | snithing | |
| incite | vb | spur, goad, egg | fuse (<ME fusen) | |
| inclination | n | leaning, bent, mindbend | - | |
| incline | n | slope, lean | sway | |
| inclined | adj | minded, bent on | swayed towards | |
| include | vb | inhold | - | |
| incompassionate | adj | ruthless, heartless, cold, hard-hearted, cold-hearted | - | |
| incomplete | n | underdone, less than whole, unwhole, underwhole, unfullworked | - | |
| inconsiderate | adj | thoughtless, uncaring, unthinking, careless, ruthless, reckless | - | |
| incorporated | adj | - | inblent | |
| incorrect | adj | untrue, wrong, unyearight | - | |
| increase | vb | rise, eke, build up, bemoren, gather, heighten, deepen, wax, rise, grow, swell, take in (more) | formore (cf. NHG vermehren) | |
| increasing | adj | uppen | on the make | |
| increasingly | adv | more and more, ever more | uppeningly | |
| incredible | adj | unseen, unheard-of | unlieffast, unbelievingly | |
| incursion | n | raid, inroad | - | |
| incus | n | anvil | - | |
| indebted | adj | owing | beholden | |
| indecent | adj | shameless, unseemly, shameful, unsightful | - | |
| indecisive | adj | wavering, in two minds, swithering, halting, half-hearted, half-minded | unmeting | |
| indelicate | adj | heavy handed, stern, gruff | - | |
| independent | adj | free, selfstanding | - | |
| independence | n | - | selfhood, selfstanding | |
| indicate | vb | show, betoken, bespeak, hint at, bode | ward to | |
| indication | n | betokening, hint, clue | waywarding | |
| indigent | adj | needy | - | |
| indignation | n | - | forunworthying (cf. Du verontwaardiging) | |
| indiscriminately | adv | swoopstake, shilly-shally | allwardly, manywardly | |
| indisposed | adj | unwell, sickened, not so well, mildly ill, slighty sick, illish, ailing, unfit, untrim | - | |
| individual | adj | - | onelepy (<OE ánlípe, ánlípig) | |
| individual | n | - | onelepy, onelepling (<OE ánlípe "individual" + -ling, cf. the general form of Ic./Far. einstaklingur), one, yea-one, self, untodealel | |
| individualism | n | selfdom | - | |
| indocrinate | vb | - | belere, inlere | |
| indocrinated | adj | - | inlorebound, inloretrothen | |
| indocrination | n | - | inloreteaching, inlering | |
| indolent | adj | lazy, idle, shiftless, slothful, aswolke, listless | lat (<OE læt; cf. Nw. Sw.) | |
| induce | vb | bring on, lead to, draw, teach | beway (calque of NHG bewegen) | |
| indulgence (Catholicism) | n | - | offlet (cf. NHG Ablass) | |
| industry | n | - | bulkbuildship, worksomeness | |
| industrial action | n | strike | - | |
| industrious | adj | hard working, worksome, tireless, deedy | - | |
| inebriated | adj | drunk, besotted | - | |
| ineffable | adj | - | unspeakingly | |
| ineffective | adj | empty (fig.), idle, lame, mightless, slack (ineffectual), slight (insignificant, trifling), toothless (fig.), weak, winless, worthless | - | |
| inept | adj | clueless, unhandy, clumsy | - | |
| inert | adj | still, lifeless, idle | unshrithing | |
| inexperienced | adj | unfledged, callow, raw, green | - | |
| infamy | n | badname, lowstanding, ill-name, shamefulness | unar (<OE ár 'honour') | |
| infancy | n | bairnhood, childhood | - | |
| infant | n | newborn, child, baby, toddler, suckling | - | |
| infanticide | n | - | childslaughter | |
| infection | n | - | insmiting | |
| infect(tion) | vb/n | - | smittle onsticking (cf. NHG ansteckung) | |
| infectious | adj | - | smittlesome | |
| infer | vb | - | offlead (cf. Du. afleiden) | |
| inferior | n & adj | lesser, lower, lowly, mean, netherly, underling, worse | - | |
| infernal | adj | fiendish, hellish, wicked, underhanded, evil, ill, hateful, all-fired | - | |
| inferno | n | hell, hellfire | - | |
| infertile | adj | - | geld, unteeming, untudderfast | |
| infidelity | n | untrueness, untruth, untruthfulness, swikedom, lie | - | |
| infinite | adj | boundless, endless, everlasting, never-ending, timeless, unbounded, unmetely, unrim, untold, without end | - | |
| infinitive | n | - | unendly (<OE ungeendigendlic), unenendingly | |
| infinity | n | boundlessness, unending, endlessness, forever, eke, timelessness, everlasting, everlastingness, unboundedness, orend | - | |
| infirmed | adj | sickly, unhealthy, wanhale | - | |
| inflammation | n | burning, redness, soreness, swelling, itch | betindering (cf. Da. 'betændelse') | |
| inflate | vb | - | forblow, andblow (cf. Ic. and-blásinn), blow up | |
| influence | vb | sway, shape | - | |
| inflict | vb | wreak, lay on | - | |
| influenza | n | haingles, grippe | - | |
| influx | n | inflow | - | |
| informal | adj | loose | - | |
| informant | n | tout, snitch | - | |
| information | n | news, knowledge | - | |
| infuriating | adj | maddening, angering | - | |
| infuse | vb | inset, input, inlay | inbirl | |
| ingenious | adj | - | orthankly (<OE orþanclic), overmindle | |
| ingenuity | n | braininess, brightness, mindquickness, giftedness, cleverness, cunningness, canniness, nimble-mindedness, nimbled-wittedness, orthought, overmind | orthink, overmind | |
| ingest | vb | eat, take in | - | |
| ingestion | n | intake, uptake | - | |
| inhabit | vb | dwell, abide, wone in, inwone | weech (<OE wician), alive, erde, bewone, ern | |
| inhabitance | n | abode, dwelling | erding (erding in sorrow), erdingstow, inwoning, erning | |
| inhabitant | n | dweller, indweller (Scots) | begang (<OE beganga), erd-folk, bewoner, inwoner
ern-folk (<OE ærn 'house, habitation') | |
| inhale | vb | breathe in, draw breath, inbreathe/imbreathe | - | |
| inherent | adj | built-in, inborn, inbred, indwelling | - | |
| inherit | vb | - | erve (<OE ierfian) | |
| inheritance | n | - | erve (<OE ierfe), ervewardness (<OE ierfeweardnes), earf, earfdeal, ervedeal, birthright, birthdom, birth-hood | |
| inimical | adj | foesome, harmful, unfriendly | - | |
| initial | adj | first, beginning, early | - | |
| initiate | vb | start, begin, bring on, bring up, goad, spur | - | |
| injection | n | jab | needleprick, inshot | |
| injure | vb | hurt, scathe, wound, mar, mess up (colloq.) screw up (colloq.) | dere (<OE 'derian,' archaic MnE 'dere') | |
| innate | adj | inborn, indwelling | - | |
| innocence | n | guiltlessness, guiltfreedom | - | |
| innocent | adj | guiltless, guiltfree, baneless, clean (fig.), spotless (fig.), blameless | - | |
| innocuous | adj | baneless, unhurtful | - | |
| innovative | adj | forward-looking, groundbreaking, leading-edge, newfangled, trendy, trendsetting | - | |
| innovator | n | groundbreaker, trendsetter | - | |
| inquire | vb | ask, underseek/ seek under | freen (<OE fregen) | |
| insane | adj | mad, out of one's mind | - | |
| inscribe | vb | inwrite | - | |
| insect | n | bug | midge (<OE mygg, mycg) widge, wig (<OE wicga, cf. earwig) carvedeer (cf. OE ceorfdēor, NHG kerbtier, LG karvdeer) | |
| insensitive | adj | unfeeling, unfeelsome | - | |
| inseparable | adj | bound (up), hand-in-hand, forever one, thick | unshedsome | |
| insert | vb | input, inset | - | |
| insincere | adj | hollow, hollow-hearted, unsoothfast, unsoothful, untruthfast, untruthsome | unluter (OE hlutor) | |
| insist | vb | - | bestand (calque of NHG bestehen) | |
| insomnia | n | sleeplessness | - | |
| inspect(tion) | vb/n | inlook(ing) | - | |
| inspiration | n | - | inblowing beghastness, inbreath, brainchild, brainwave, insouling, | |
| inspire | vb | - | inblow (<OE inblowan) beghast , begeist (be- + geist) | |
| instance | n | - | lodestar, loadstar, earnestness | |
| instantly | adv | at once, forthwith | - | |
| instigate | vb | fire up, goad, kindle, rouse, stir up, spur | fuse (<ME fusen) | |
| institute | vb | set up | stight, onstall | |
| institution | n | body | - | |
|
instruct | vb | teach, belare, lare, learn, loren, wise, underright, underwise | ||
|
instruction(s) | n | loredom, wiseheedings |
forewritings, outlay (cf. Du uitleg) | |
| instrument | n | tool, means | - | |
| insult | n | slight, slur, lambast | heash | |
| insurance | n | - | heling (<OE helan 'to cover')
munding (<OE mundian 'to protect, shelter, guard') berging (<OE beorgan ' to save, preserve') | |
| insurgent | n | upriser, rabble-rouser | - | |
| integer | n | whole rime | - | |
| intellectual | n | high-mind, thinkster, wit, thinker | - | |
| intellectual | adj | highbrow | - | |
| intellectual capacity | n | - | forstandscraft (NHG Verstandeskraft) | |
| intelligence | n | wit | anget (<OE andgiet)
forwittleness (<OE forwitolnes) moodcraft (<OE módcræft) orthank (<OE orþanc) rede (<OE rǽd) (reason) snitter (<OE snyttru) | |
| intelligent | adj | witty, smart, clever, wise, learned, keen-witted, sharp witted, ready-witted, brainy, bright, quick | andgetful (<OE andgitful)
andgittle (<OE andgitol) moodcrafty (<OE módcræftig) | |
| intelligible | adj | - | angetfully (<OE andgitfullic), witsome | |
| intend | vb | offwill, mean, will, wish, inhang, mint, onmind | - | |
| intense | adj | burning, hardspun, strong-willed, strong-feeling, thorough, utter | - | |
| intention | n | offwill, will, wish, inhang, onmind | - | |
| inter | vb | bury, begrave, bedelve, inearth, inground | - | |
| interact | vb | work in on eachother, betweendo, betwixtdo | withwork | |
| intercede | vb | for-speek; speak on behalf of | - | |
| intercept | vb | waylay, twixtgrab, tweengrab, grab between, cut off | fang off (cf. NHG abfangen) | |
| interdict | vb | forbid | - | |
| interfere | vb | pry, hinder, mix in | inbreach | |
| interject | vb | inset | betweenlaidness, betwixtlaidness (<Ælfric's OE 'betwuxlegednes') | |
| interest | vb | grip | intryst (phonosemantic calque) indraw | |
| interest | n | right, share, stake, deal, doing, end, gain, gleanings, goodwill; (on money), yield, loanyield, geldyield; | fascination: wastomshat (<OE wæstmsceatt), intryst (phonosemantic calque), indrawness | |
| interesting | n | gripping | heeding, indrawing, mindwheting
intrysting (phonet. calque) | |
| interim/interval | n | midtime, (long) far-between, midwhile | - | |
| interior | n | inside, inner, inliness | - | |
| intermediary | n | go-between | - | |
| intermission | n | break | betweenforletness (OE), betweentime, betwixttime, betweentide, betwixttide | |
| intern | n | inworker | - | |
| internal | adj | inland, inner, inner-bodily | betwixfack (<OE) | |
| international | n/adj | lands amongst, betwixlandsome | altheedish | |
| International English | n/adj | - | Anglonish | |
| internet | n | the world wide web | twixtnet | |
| interpol | n | worldwatcher | - | |
| interpret | vb | outlay, awend, aread, read into | betwixtread | |
| interrogate(tion) | vb | ask (about) | befrain(ing) (cf. NHG befragen) | |
| interrupt | vb | cut off | offbreak (cf. Fris. ôfbrekke, Swed. avbryta, Dan. afbryde) underbreak (cf. NHG unterbrechen), betwixtbreak, betweenbreak | |
| interruption | n | - | underbreaking | |
| intervention | n | - | tweencoming, twixtcoming, come between | |
| interview | n | - | fraynspeak (cf. Dutch vraagesprek) | |
| intestine | n | innard, tharm, gut | - | |
| intimacy | n | warmth, warm friendship, near friendship | - | |
| intimidate | vb | besmallen, scare, frighten, overawe | - | |
| intoxicated | adj | drunken | bedrunken (cf. NHG betrunken) | |
| intoxicating | adj | heady | beheadying | |
| intoxication | n | drunkenness | bedrunkenhood (NHG Betrunkenheit) | |
| introduce | vb | lead in | - | |
| introduction | n | lead-in (att'd) | inleading (Du inleiding; NHG einleitung) | |
| introductory remark | n | - | forebemarking (NHG Vorbemerkung) | |
| introverted | n | - | ingoing, inwardsome | |
| inundate | vb | flood, whelm, overwhelm, overythe | beyote (<OE begieten) | |
| invade | vb | - | infall, overrun, inthring, thring(e) int(to), throng in(to), thrust upon | |
| invasion | n | - | infall, herefare, inslaught, inthringing, instreaming, inthrong, inthronging | |
| invaluable | adj | - | yealief, yeadear, uncheap, forworthy | |
| invasion | n | raid | infall | |
| invent | vb | frame, work, think up, make up, first make, mind out | afind (<OE onfindan, cf. NHG erfinden)
infind, outfind (cf. Du. uitvinden) | |
| invention | n | - | afinding (cf. OE onfindan, NHG Erfindung)
findle (<OE findel) | |
| inventor | n | - | afindand (<OE onfindend)
afinder (cf. OE onfindan, NHG Erfinder) findler | |
| inventory | n | goodslist | - | |
| invertebrate | vb | unbackboned | - | |
| invest | vb | buy a share in, buy a stake in, umclap | wend (change money or office) | |
| investigate(-tion/-er) | vb/n | - | speer(-ing/-iand), nease(-ing), unwhelm, underseek(-ing) | |
| investor | n | shareholder, stakeholder | - | |
| inveterate | adj | abiding, deep-rooted, deep-seated, hardened, lifelong, long-lived, settled | - | |
| inviolable | adj | - | untoworpenly (<OE untóworpenlic) | |
| invisible | adj | - | unseen (<OE ungesewen), unwisely, unseeingly, unsightbere | |
| invite | n & vb | - | inlath(e), lath(e), lath(e) in | |
| involve | vb | - | onlink,intangle, inbind, inwalk, wrap up in, bewalk | |
| ion | n | - | streammote | |
| ionosphere | n | - | streamlayer | |
| iota | n | shred, whit, aught | - | |
| ipseity | n | ass, selfhood | - | |
| irascible | adj | prickly, feisty, edgy, churlish, bearish, outburstish, highly-strung, wrathy, wrongheaded, crankisome | uncweming | |
| ire | n | wrath | - | |
| iris | n | eyebow | - | |
| irregular | adj | - | ulawbound, lawless, unlawabiding, unsteady, flighty, fitful | |
| irregular verb | n | - | unlawbound workword | |
| irrelevant | n | without bearing, bearingless, unakinly | - | |
| irrelevant, be | vb | - | unbearing | |
| irresponsible | adj | reckless, heedless, careless, thoughtless, unmindful, unthinking, unanswerly | - | |
| irrigate | n | - | beflow, bewater | |
| irritate (vex) | vb | irk, gall, make sore | abellow (<OE abelgan) | |
| irritating | adj | irksome, swinksome | - | |
| ischium | n | sea-bone | - | |
| -ise | sfx | ledge (<OE -læcan), -ly | - | |
| island, isle | n | holm | iland, igland, aitland, ait, eyot, ealand | |
| islet | n | ait, eyot, iling | - | |
| -ism | sfx | - | general abstractum:-dom
general belief system or school of thought: -belief (cf. NHG -glaube) political doctrine/policy: -belead (cf. Du. beleid)belief system associated with a person, place, etc.: -ishness, -ish belief belief system as a religious or political establishment/realm: -dom belief as faith: -troth | |
| isobar | n | - | evenheavy | |
| isocracy | n | - | evenship | |
| isolate | vb | cut off, sunder | cleave off | |
| isolation | n | loneliness, alonehood, asideness | forlettenhood (cf. NHG Verlassenheit), only-edoffness, offonly-edness | |
| Italian | adj | - | Italish, Wallandish
Ettlish (cf. OE Eotol) | |
| Italy | N | - | Walland (cf. High Ic. Valland; root akin to 'Welsh')
Ettle (<OE Eotol) | |
| Ivorian | n/adj | - | Elfbone Shoreland(er/ish) | |
| ivory | n | tusk | elfbone (cf. NHG Elfenbein,) | |
| -ize | sfx | -en | -ledge (<OE -læcan) | |
