Where does “mirth” come from?
Mirth comes from Middle English merth, from Old English myrgþ, where the -þ suffix derives from Proto-Germanic -iþō, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European mréǵʰus meaning "short" or "brief," combined with the Proto-Indo-European -tós suffix.
mirth (English): The emotion usually following humour and...
Definitions
- The emotion usually following humour and...
Ancestry of “mirth”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | merth | Alternative form of myrthe |
| 2 | Old English | myrgþ | mirth |
| 3 | Old English | -þ | forming abstract nouns from verbs, adjectives or... |
| 4 | Old English | -þu | forming abstract nouns from verbs, adjectives or... |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | -iþu | Forms abstract nouns from verbs, adjectives or... |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | -iþō | -ness, -th |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -iteh₂ | -th |