Where does “meneer” come from?
meneer (Dutch) comes from Dutch mijnheer, from Dutch mijn, from French mine, from Breton min, from Italian mina, from Latin mina, from Gaulish mēnā, from Proto-Celtic *meinis — to cut, hew.
meneer (Dutch): sir, mister
Definitions
- sir, mister
Ancestry of “meneer”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dutch | mijnheer | Alternative form of meneer |
| 2 | Dutch | mijn | belonging to me: my; mine; shaft dug by an insect... |
| 3 | French | mine | mine; pencil lead; piledriver, scorcher |
| 4 | Breton | min | face of an animal; beak, muzzle |
| 5 | Italian | mina | mine, land mine; lead in pencils; mine which... |
| 6 | Latin | mina | A Greek weight equal to 100 drachmas; A Greek... |
| 7 | Gaulish | mēnā | ore, mine |
| 8 | Proto-Celtic | *meinis | ore, metal |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | mēy(H)nis | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)mēy(H)- | to cut, hew |