Where does “mister” come from?
mister (Danish) comes from Danish miste, from Old Danish mistæ, from Old Norse missa, from Proto-Germanic missijaną, from Proto-Indo-European mēyt-, from Proto-Indo-European mēy- — soft, tender, dear.
mister (Danish): present of miste
Ancestry of “mister”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Danish | miste | to lose |
| 2 | Old Danish | mistæ | — |
| 3 | Old Norse | missa | to miss, lose |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | missijaną | to miss, go wrong, fail |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | mēyt- | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | mēy- | soft, tender, dear |