Where does “Mrs” come from?
Mrs derives from English mistress, from Old French maistresse, from Old French maistre, from Latin magister meaning master or teacher, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European meǵh₂- meaning great.
Mrs (English): Abbreviation of Missus or Mistress
Definitions
- Abbreviation of Missus or Mistress
Ancestry of “Mrs”, step by step
Mrs traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Mistress
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Mistress | Used as the title of a married woman before her... |
| 2 | Middle English | maistresse | mistress |
| 3 | Old French | maistresse | — |
| 4 | Old French | maistre | master; Master; magister |
| 5 | Latin | magister | teacher; master; a title of the Middle Ages,... |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | magisteros | bigger, greater |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | méǵh₂isteros | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | méǵh₂s | big, great |
via English mistress
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | mistress | A woman, specifically one with great control,... |