Where does “midnightmare” come from?
midnightmare (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.
midnightmare (English): During a nightmare
Definitions
- During a nightmare
Ancestry of “midnightmare”, step by step
midnightmare traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English MID
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | MID | Initialism of mobile information device |
| 2 | English | mid-range | Of a central or halfway point |
| 3 | English | range | A line or series of mountains, buildings, etc; A... |
| 4 | Middle English | rengen | — |
| 5 | Old French | rengier | to line up; to form ranks |
| 6 | Old French | reng | place; position |
| 7 | Latin | rencus | row; order, rank |
| 8 | Gaulish | rekos | — |
| 9 | Proto-Celtic | reketi | to arrange |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | (H)rek- | to set in order |
via English nightmare
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | nightmare | A demon or monster, thought to plague people... |
| 2 | English | night | The period between sunset and sunrise, when a... |
| 3 | Middle English | nyght | Alternative form of nighte; Alternative form of... |
| 4 | Middle English | nighte | night |
| 5 | Old English | nyht | Alternative form of niht |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | naht | night |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | nahts | night |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | nókʷts | night |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | negʷ- | bare, naked |