Where does “barking mad” come from?
barking mad (English) comes from English MAD, from Middle English mad, from Old English ġemǣd, from Proto-Germanic maidijaną, from Proto-Germanic maidaz, from Proto-Indo-European mēy- — soft, tender, dear.
barking mad (English): Completely insane
Definitions
- Completely insane
Ancestry of “barking mad”, step by step
barking mad traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English MAD
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | MAD | Initialism of mutually assured destruction;... |
| 2 | Middle English | mad | Mad, insane, deranged; not of sound mind;... |
| 3 | Old English | ġemǣd | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | maidijaną | to exchange, change |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | maidaz | hurt, wounded; mad, foolish; angry, enraged |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | mēy- | soft, tender, dear |