Where does “misbehavior” come from?
Misbehavior derives from English mis- combined with behavior, ultimately tracing to Proto-Indo-European mey- and meit-, roots associated with exchange or reciprocal action.
misbehavior (English): Action or conduct that is inappropriate,...
Definitions
- Action or conduct that is inappropriate,...
Ancestry of “misbehavior”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | mis- | bad or wrong; badly or wrongly; lack or failure;... |
| 2 | Middle English | mys- | mis- badly, wrongly |
| 3 | Old English | mis- | bad, badly, wrong, wrongly; lack or failure |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | missa- | mis-, badly, wrongly |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | mitto | mutual, reciprocal |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | meyth₂- | to hurt; to exchange, remove; to replace, to... |