Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “midfield” come from?

Midfield comes from Middle English midfeld, from Old English midfeld, from Proto-Germanic *midil-felþuz, combining mid- with feld meaning open land.

midfield (English): The middle of the field of play

Definitions

  1. The middle of the field of play

Ancestry of “midfield”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishfieldA land area free of woodland, cities, and towns;...
2Middle EnglishfeeldA field; The countryside; empty land that...
3Old Englishfeldfield
4Proto-West Germanicfelþufield
5Proto-Germanicfelþuz—
6Proto-Indo-Europeanpelh₂-to approach
7Proto-Indo-Europeanpel-to cover, to wrap; skin, hide, cloth; to fold

Words derived from “midfield”

  • midfielder
  • ミッドフィールダー
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pel- →