Where does “mishmash” come from?
Mishmash derives from Middle English mishmash, a reduplication of mash, which comes from Old English masc, from Proto-Germanic maskwǭ, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European mey-.
mishmash (English): A collection containing a variety of...
Definitions
- A collection containing a variety of...
Ancestry of “mishmash”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | mash | A mass of mixed ingredients reduced to a soft... |
| 2 | Middle English | mash | — |
| 3 | Old English | mæsc | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | maiskaz | mixture; a mash |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | moiḱ-sḱ-o/eh₂- | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | meyḱ- | to mix |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | mey- | to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange |