Where does “mine” come from?

mine (English) comes from Middle English myn, from Old English mīn, from Proto-Germanic *mīn, from Proto-Germanic mīnaz, from Proto-Indo-European méynos, from Proto-Indo-European mei — to fix, to build fortifications or fences.

mine (English): My; belonging to me; that which belongs to me;...

Definitions

  1. My; belonging to me; that which belongs to me;...

Ancestry of “mine”, step by step

mine traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle English myn

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishmynAlternative form of min
2Old Englishmīnmy, mine
3Proto-Germanic*mīn—
4Proto-Germanicmīnazmy, mine; 1st person singular possessive
5Proto-Indo-Europeanméynosmy; mine
6Proto-Indo-Europeanmeito fix, to build fortifications or fences

via Middle English min

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishminFirst-person singular genitive determiner: my;...
2Old Norseminnimemory; less, smaller: comparative degree of...
3Proto-Germanicminnizôcomparative degree of *lītilaz
4Proto-Indo-Europeanmey-to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange

Words derived from “mine”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European mei →Every word from Proto-Indo-European méynos →Every word from Proto-Germanic mīnaz →