Etymology Explorer › Dutch

Where does “medley” come from?

medley (Dutch) comes from English medley, from Middle English medle, from Old French medlee, from Latin misculō, from Latin misceō, from Proto-Italic mikskō, from Proto-Indo-European miḱ-sḱé-, from Proto-Indo-European meyḱ- — to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange.

medley (Dutch): several songs strung together

Definitions

  1. several songs strung together

Ancestry of “medley”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishmedleyCombat, fighting; a battle; A collection or...
2Middle EnglishmedleThe fruit of the common medlar
3Old Frenchmedleegame; quarrel; dispute; battle
4Latinmisculō—
5Latinmisceō—
6Proto-Italicmikskōto mix
7Proto-Indo-Europeanmiḱ-sḱé-—
8Proto-Indo-Europeanmeyḱ-to mix
9Proto-Indo-Europeanmey-to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange
Every word from Proto-Indo-European mey- →