Etymology Explorer › Dutch

Where does “ondermijnen” come from?

ondermijnen (Dutch) comes from Dutch mijnen, 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.

ondermijnen (Dutch): to undermine, subvert, sap

Definitions

  1. to undermine, subvert, sap

Ancestry of “ondermijnen”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Dutchmijnento mine; to sap, to mine
2Dutchmijnbelonging to me: my; mine; shaft dug by an insect...
3Frenchminemine; pencil lead; piledriver, scorcher
4Bretonminface of an animal; beak, muzzle
5Italianminamine, land mine; lead in pencils; mine which...
6LatinminaA Greek weight equal to 100 drachmas; A Greek...
7Gaulishmēnāore, mine
8Proto-Celtic*meinis—
9Proto-Indo-Europeanmēy(H)nis—
10Proto-Indo-European(s)mēy(H)-to cut, hew
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)mēy(H)- →