Where does “must” come from?
must (Dutch) comes from English must, from Old English mōste, from Old English mōtan, from Proto-West Germanic *mōtan, from Proto-Germanic mōtaną, from Proto-Indo-European mōd-, from Proto-Indo-European med- — to measure; to give advice; healing.
must (Dutch): a must
Ancestry of “must”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | must | To do with certainty; To do as a requirement;... |
| 2 | Old English | mōste | had to |
| 3 | Old English | mōtan | to be allowed, be able to, have the opportunity... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *mōtan | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | mōtaną | to be allowed, to be permitted to, may |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | mōd- | to permit, make able |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | med- | to measure; to give advice; healing |