Where does “cruel mistress” come from?

cruel mistress (English) comes from English Mistress, from Middle English maistresse, from Old French maistresse, from Old French maistre, from Latin magister, from Proto-Italic magisteros, from Proto-Indo-European méǵh₂isteros, from Proto-Indo-European méǵh₂s — big, great.

cruel mistress (English): Something which has both significant positive and negative aspects

Definitions

  1. Something which has both significant positive and negative aspects

Ancestry of “cruel mistress”, step by step

cruel mistress traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English Mistress

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishMistressUsed as the title of a married woman before her...
2Middle Englishmaistressemistress
3Old Frenchmaistresse
4Old Frenchmaistremaster; Master; magister
5Latinmagisterteacher; master; a title of the Middle Ages,...
6Proto-Italicmagisterosbigger, greater
7Proto-Indo-Europeanméǵh₂isteros
8Proto-Indo-Europeanméǵh₂sbig, great

via English cruel

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishcruelIntentionally causing or reveling in pain and...
2Frenchcruelcruel; hard, painful
3Spanishcruelcruel
4Latincrūdēlisunfeeling, rude
5Latincrūdusraw, bloody, bleeding
6Proto-Indo-Europeankrewh₂-blood outside the body
Every word from Proto-Indo-European méǵh₂sEvery word from Proto-Indo-European méǵh₂isterosEvery word from Proto-Italic magisteros