Where does “mince” come from?
Mince comes from Middle English mincen, from Old English minsian, from Proto-Germanic minnisōną and minniz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European (e)mey-.
mince (English): Finely chopped meat; Finely chopped mixed fruit...
Definitions
- Finely chopped meat; Finely chopped mixed fruit...
Ancestry of “mince”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | mincen | To mince; to cut up or slice up food into small... |
| 2 | Old English | minsian | to diminish, lessen, become small |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | minnisōną | to make less, make smaller |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | minniz | less, to a smaller degree |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | mēy- | soft, tender, dear |
Words derived from “mince”