A Lexicon of

Invented Origins

Split a word or name into pieces, then find words and roots in the world’s languages that sound like each piece. The story you build from them is up to you.

Word or name

Shortest piece letters Sound matching: Loose

Prefixes only at the start, suffixes only at the end Only attested words (hide reconstructed roots) Hide given names and surnames

Languages to search

Words in other alphabets, such as Greek or Hebrew, are matched by how they’re romanized.

Divisions

Only show divisions where every piece found a root

Roots by piece

Tick the roots you like, then choose Mix and Match or Close Relations.

Mix and match

Choose how to divide the word. Each coloured bar is one piece, and its column below holds the roots you picked for it. Flip through them with the arrows, or focus a column and use the ↑ ↓ keys.

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Close relations

Every way to build the word from your chosen roots, one root per piece, with the most closely related languages first.

How distant:

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0 chosen

Words and definitions from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. These roots only sound alike; they are not the real origin.