Where does “maxim” come from?
Maxim comes from Middle French maxime, from Latin maxima, the feminine form of maximus meaning "greatest," from magnus meaning "great," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European maǵ- meaning "to grow" or "be great."
maxim (English): A self-evident axiom or premise; a pithy...
Definitions
- A self-evident axiom or premise; a pithy...
Ancestry of “maxim”, step by step
maxim traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle French maxime
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | maxime | — |
| 2 | Latin | maxima | nominative feminine singular of maximus;... |
| 3 | Latin | Maximus | the greatest |
| 4 | Proto-Italic | *magisVmos | — |
via Anglo-Norman maxime
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anglo-Norman | maxime | — |