Where does “matey” come from?
matey (English) comes from English maté, from Middle English mate, from Middle Low German māte, from Old Saxon gimato, from Proto-Germanic gamatjô, from Proto-Germanic ga-, from Proto-Indo-European ḱóm, from Proto-Indo-European ḱe — to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...
matey (English): Sociable or friendly; Diminutive of mate, friend;...
Definitions
- Sociable or friendly; Diminutive of mate, friend;...
Ancestry of “matey”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | maté | An evergreen tree, Ilex paraquariensis, native to... |
| 2 | Middle English | mate | mate companion, comrade |
| 3 | Middle Low German | māte | — |
| 4 | Old Saxon | gimato | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | gamatjô | — |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | ga- | Indicates association or togetherness; co-;... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱóm | beside, near, by, with |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱe | Deictic particle, here; Post-positional... |
| 9 | Middle English | kyt | — |
| 10 | German | kitt | putty certain kinds of cement used for fixing e.g. window panes |
| 11 | Old High German | kuti | — |
| 12 | Proto-West Germanic | kwidu | gum, resin |
| 13 | Proto-Germanic | kweduz | resin |
| 14 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷet- | resin, gum; to say, speak |
| 15 | Proto-Indo-European | gū- | to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,... |