Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “midge” come from?

Midge comes from Middle English mydge, from Old English mycg, from Proto-Germanic mugjō, from the Proto-Indo-European root mū-.

midge (English): any of various small two-winged flies, for...

Definitions

  1. any of various small two-winged flies, for...

Ancestry of “midge”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishmydgemidge
2Old Englishmyċġgnat; midge, gnat; mosquito
3Proto-Germanicmugjōmidge, mosquito, gnat
4Proto-Indo-Europeanmū-fly, mosquito; fly, midge; lips, muzzle

Words derived from “midge”

  • midget
  • midgie
  • midgety
  • midgetism
  • midgey
  • midgetlike
  • midget-esque
  • midgetness
  • midgetly
Every word from Proto-Indo-European mū- →