Where does “meddlesome” come from?
Meddlesome comes from English meddle and English some, tracing through Old English sum to Proto-Indo-European sem- meaning one or together, and Proto-Indo-European mey- of uncertain sense.
meddlesome (English): Characterised or marked by meddling; inclined or...
Definitions
- Characterised or marked by meddling; inclined or...
Ancestry of “meddlesome”, step by step
meddlesome traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English meddle
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | meddle | To interfere in or with; to concern oneself with... |
| 2 | Middle English | medlen | to meddle |
| 3 | Anglo-Norman | mesler | — |
| 4 | Latin | misculāre | — |
| 5 | Latin | misceō | to mix; to mingle; to intermingle |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | mikskō | to mix |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | miḱ-sḱé- | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | meyḱ- | to mix |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | mey- | to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange |