Where does “meow” come from?
meow (English) comes from English mew, from Middle English mewe, from Old English mǣw, from Proto-West Germanic *maiwī, from Proto-Germanic maiwaz, from Proto-Germanic maiwijaną — to shout, mew.
meow (English): The cry of a cat; Said in reply to a spiteful or...
Definitions
- The cry of a cat; Said in reply to a spiteful or...
Ancestry of “meow”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | mew | A gull, seagull; A prison, or other place of... |
| 2 | Middle English | mewe | seagull, gull; A cage used for allowing birds to... |
| 3 | Old English | mǣw | mew, seagull; seagull |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *maiwī | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | maiwaz | gull, seagull |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | maiwijaną | to shout, mew |
Words derived from “meow”