Where does “amidst” come from?
Amidst derives from English amids plus the English possessive suffix -'s, which developed from Middle English -s, itself from Latin -tas and -tus, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European -es and -iskos.
amidst (English): In the midst or middle of; surrounded or...
Definitions
- In the midst or middle of; surrounded or...
Ancestry of “amidst”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | amids | — |
| 2 | English | amid | Surrounded by; in the middle of; in the center of |
| 3 | Middle English | amidde | — |
| 4 | Old English | on middan | in the middle |