Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “messiness” come from?

Messiness derives from English messy, formed with the English adjectival suffix -y from English mess, ultimately traceable through Middle French -ie and Latin -ia and -ivus to Proto-Indo-European -kos.

messiness (English): The property of being messy

Definitions

  1. The property of being messy

Ancestry of “messiness”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishmessyIn a disorderly state; chaotic; disorderly; Prone...
2EnglishmessA disagreeable mixture or confusion of things;...
3Middle Englishmesserving
4Old Frenchmesbut; my
5Latinmagismore; more greatly; better
6Dutchmagischmagical, controlled or determined by supernatural...
7Dutchmagiemagic, sorcery ; hence supernatural occurrences...
8Frenchmagiemagic; A magical, surprising, fascinating feat;...
9Middle Frenchmagie—
10Latinmagīa—
11Ancient Greekμαγεία—
12Ancient GreekΜάγοςmagician, and derogatorily sorcerer, trickster,...
13Old Persian𐎶𐎦𐏁priest
14Proto-Iranianmagúš—
15Proto-Indo-Iranianmagʰúš—
Every word from Proto-Indo-Iranian magʰúš →