Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “miscellaneous” come from?

Miscellaneous comes from Latin miscellaneus, from miscellus meaning mixed, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European mey- meaning to diminish.

miscellaneous (English): Consisting of a variety of ingredients or parts;...

Definitions

  1. Consisting of a variety of ingredients or parts;...

Ancestry of “miscellaneous”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinmiscellāneus—
2Latinmiscellusan inferior type of grape and the vine producing...
3Latinmisceō—
4Proto-Italicmikskōto mix
5Proto-Indo-Europeanmiḱ-sḱé-—
6Proto-Indo-Europeanmeyḱ-to mix
7Proto-Indo-Europeanmey-to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange

Words derived from “miscellaneous”

  • miscellaneously
  • miscellaneousness
Every word from Proto-Indo-European mey- →