Where does “midshipmite” come from?
midshipmite (English) comes from English mite, from Middle English mite, from Old English mīte, from Proto-Germanic mītǭ, from Proto-Germanic maitaną, from Proto-Indo-European mēi-.
midshipmite (English): A little or petty midshipman
Definitions
- A little or petty midshipman
Ancestry of “midshipmite”, step by step
midshipmite traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English mite
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | mite | Any of many minute arachnids which, along with... |
| 2 | Middle English | mite | — |
| 3 | Old English | mīte | mite, tiny insect |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | mītǭ | biting insect; literally, cutter; biting insect |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | maitaną | to cut, hew; to cut off, sever |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | mēi- | — |
via English midshipman
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | midshipman | An officer of the lowest rank in several navies;... |