Where does “May” come from?
May derives from Old French mai, from Latin maius, ultimately from the name of the goddess Maia in classical mythology.
May (English): The fifth month of the Gregorian calendar, following April and preceding June
Definitions
- The fifth month of the Gregorian calendar, following April and preceding June
Ancestry of “May”, step by step
May traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via French mai
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | mai | May |
| 2 | Old French | mai | — |
| 3 | Latin | Māius | “month”}} of May |
| 4 | Latin | Maia | nominative feminine singular of Maius; nominative... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | μαῖα | midwife; foster mother, nurse; good mother, dame |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | μήτηρ | mother; source or origin |
| 7 | Proto-Hellenic | mā́tēr | mother |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | méh₂tēr | mother |