Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “mighty” come from?

Mighty comes from Middle English myghty, from Old English mihtig, derived from Old English miht meaning power or strength, from Proto-Germanic mahtīgaz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European megʰ- meaning to be able or have power.

mighty (English): A warrior of great strength and courage; Very...

Definitions

  1. A warrior of great strength and courage; Very...

Ancestry of “mighty”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishmighty—
2Old Englishmihtiġ—
3Proto-West Germanicmahtīgmighty, powerful
4Proto-Germanicmahtīgazmighty
5Proto-Germanicmahtizpower, ability; strength, force
6Proto-Germanicmahtuzmight, power
7Proto-Indo-Europeanmógʰtis—
8Proto-Indo-Europeanmeǵʰ-—

Words derived from “mighty”

  • mightily
  • mightiness
  • overmighty
Every word from Proto-Indo-European meǵʰ- →