Where does “middle” come from?
Middle comes from Middle English middel, from Old English middel, from Proto-Germanic midlą, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European médʰyos meaning center or midst.
middle (English): A centre, midpoint; The part between the...
Definitions
- A centre, midpoint; The part between the...
Ancestry of “middle”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | myddel | The middle or centre of something |
| 2 | Old English | middel | middle |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | *midl | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | midlą | middle |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | midjō | middle, midst |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | médʰyos | middle |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | medʰi- | with, among; with, along |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | me | in the middle of, near, by, around, with |