Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “meaner” come from?

Meaner comes from English mean, Middle English menen, Old French meien, Latin medianus, Latin medius, Latin minae, and Proto-Indo-European ḱóm, ultimately deriving from a root meaning middle or between.

meaner (English): comparative form of mean: more mean; One who...

Definitions

  1. comparative form of mean: more mean; One who...

Ancestry of “meaner”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishmeanTo intend; To convey; To have conviction in ; to...
2Middle Englishmenento intend, to mean to indicate or signify; to...
3Old Frenchmenerto lead
4Latinminō—
5LatinminaA Greek weight equal to 100 drachmas; A Greek...
6Gaulishmēnāore, mine
7Proto-Celtic*meinis—
8Proto-Indo-Europeanmēy(H)nis—
9Proto-Indo-European(s)mēy(H)-to cut, hew
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)mēy(H)- →