Where does “mean” come from?
Mean comes from Middle English menen, from Old French meien, from Latin medianus, from Latin medius, from Latin minae, from Proto-Indo-European ḱóm and men-.
mean (English): To intend; To convey; To have conviction in ; to...
Definitions
- To intend; To convey; To have conviction in ; to...
Ancestry of “mean”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | menen | to intend, to mean to indicate or signify; to... |
| 2 | Old French | mener | to lead |
| 3 | Latin | minō | — |
| 4 | Latin | mina | A Greek weight equal to 100 drachmas; A Greek... |
| 5 | Gaulish | mēnā | ore, mine |
| 6 | Proto-Celtic | *meinis | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | mēy(H)nis | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)mēy(H)- | to cut, hew |
Words derived from “mean”