Where does “mirror” come from?
Mirror comes from Middle English mirour, from Old French mireor, derived from Old French mirer meaning to look at, from Latin miror meaning to wonder at or admire.
mirror (English): A smooth surface, usually made of glass with...
Definitions
- A smooth surface, usually made of glass with...
Ancestry of “mirror”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | mirour | A mirror, looking-glass, or other reflective... |
| 2 | Old French | mireor | mirror; a typical example |
| 3 | Old French | mirer | to look at; to watch |
| 4 | Latin | mīror | to be astonished at, marvel at, admire, be amazed at, wonder at |
| 5 | Latin | mīrus | wonderful, marvelous, amazing, surprising, miraculous |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | smeiros | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | sméyros | laughing, smiling |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | smey- | to smile; to smear, stroke, wipe, rub; to be... |