Where does “green-eyed monster” come from?
green-eyed monster (English) comes from English Eye, from English -some, from Middle English -som, from Old English sum, from Proto-West Germanic *sum, from Proto-Germanic sumaz, from Proto-Indo-European sem- — together, one.
green-eyed monster (English): Envy, jealousy, covetousness
Definitions
- Envy, jealousy, covetousness
Ancestry of “green-eyed monster”, step by step
green-eyed monster traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via English Eye
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Eye | A place name |
| 2 | English | -some | Characterized by some specific condition or... |
| 3 | Middle English | -som | some; having a specific quality |
| 4 | Old English | sum | some |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | *sum | some |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | sumaz | some (one), a certain (one) |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | sem- | together, one |