Where does “meed” come from?

Meed comes from Middle English meede, from Old English medu, from Proto-Germanic meduz, from Proto-Indo-European médʰu, derived from the root dʰeh₁-.

meed (English): A payment or recompense made for services...

Definitions

  1. A payment or recompense made for services...

Ancestry of “meed”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishmeede—
2Old Englishmēdreward, meed, recompense
3Proto-West Germanicmiʀdureward
4Proto-Germanicmizdōreward
5Proto-Indo-Europeanmisdʰósreward, prize; wages, payment
6Proto-Indo-Europeanmēy-soft, tender, dear
Every word from Proto-Indo-European mēy- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European misdʰós →Every word from Proto-Germanic mizdō →
meed — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer