Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “millet” come from?

Millet comes from Turkish millet, from Arabic مِلَّة, referring to a religious community or nation.

millet (English): Any of a group of various types of grass or its...

Definitions

  1. Any of a group of various types of grass or its...

Ancestry of “millet”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchmillet—
2Latinmiliummillet; genitive plural of mīlle
3Proto-Italicmeljom—
4Proto-Indo-Europeanmelh₂-to grind, to crush
5Proto-Indo-Europeanmel-soft; tender; weak; to deceive; to rub
6Proto-Indo-Europeanmey-to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange
Every word from Proto-Indo-European mey- →