Where does “mid-nightmare” come from?

mid-nightmare (English) comes from English MID, from English mid-range, from English range, from Middle English rengen, from Old French rengier, from Old French reng, from Latin rencus, from Gaulish rekos — to set in order.

mid-nightmare (English): During a nightmare; The middle part of a...

Definitions

  1. During a nightmare; The middle part of a...

Ancestry of “mid-nightmare”, step by step

mid-nightmare traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English MID

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishMIDInitialism of mobile information device
2Englishmid-rangeOf a central or halfway point
3EnglishrangeA line or series of mountains, buildings, etc; A...
4Middle Englishrengen
5Old Frenchrengierto line up; to form ranks
6Old Frenchrengplace; position
7Latinrencusrow; order, rank
8Gaulishrekos
9Proto-Celticreketito arrange
10Proto-Indo-European(H)rek-to set in order

via English nightmare

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishnightmareA demon or monster, thought to plague people...
2EnglishnightThe period between sunset and sunrise, when a...
3Middle EnglishnyghtAlternative form of nighte; Alternative form of...
4Middle Englishnightenight
5Old EnglishnyhtAlternative form of niht
6Proto-West Germanicnahtnight
7Proto-Germanicnahtsnight
8Proto-Indo-Europeannókʷtsnight
9Proto-Indo-Europeannegʷ-bare, naked
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (H)rek-