Where does “mayor” come from?
Mayor comes from Old French maire, from Latin maior meaning "greater," from Proto-Indo-European meǵh₂s meaning "great."
mayor (English): The leader of a city, or a municipality,...
Definitions
- The leader of a city, or a municipality,...
Ancestry of “mayor”, step by step
mayor traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via English Meyer
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Meyer | an alternative form of Meir |
| 2 | Dutch | Meijer | — |
| 3 | Latin | māior | ancestors, forefathers; advanced in years, the aged; the elders |
| 4 | Latin | magnus | large, big; great; important |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | meǵh₂- | big, great; great; big, stour, great |
via Middle English maire
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | maire | — |
| 2 | Old French | maire | primary; principal; most major; a senior public... |
via Spanish mayor
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spanish | mayor | comparative degree of grande: bigger; comparative... |