Where does “mavis” come from?
mavis (English) comes from Middle English mavys, from Anglo-Norman mauvis, from Old French mauvis, from Latin malum, from Latin malus, from Ancient Greek μηλέα, from Ancient Greek μῆλον, from Proto-Indo-European (s)meh₁l- — small animal”; small animal.
mavis (English): Song thrush
Definitions
- Song thrush
Ancestry of “mavis”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | mavys | song thrush |
| 2 | Anglo-Norman | mauvis | thrush |
| 3 | Old French | mauvis | thrush |
| 4 | Latin | malum | inflection of malus: ##... |
| 5 | Latin | malus | unpleasant, distressing, painful, nasty, bad;... |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | μηλέα | apple tree |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | μῆλον | apple; any fruit from a tree; a woman's breast |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)meh₁l- | small animal”; small animal |