Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “mistaken” come from?

Mistaken comes from Middle English mistaken, derived from Old Norse mistaka.

mistaken (English): past participle of mistake; Erroneous; Having an...

Definitions

  1. past participle of mistake; Erroneous; Having an...

Ancestry of “mistaken”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishmistakeTo understand wrongly, taking one thing or person...
2Middle Englishmistaken—
3Old Norsemistakato take in error, to miscarry

Words derived from “mistaken”

  • mistakenly
  • unmistaken
  • mistakenness
  • unmistakenly
Every word from Old Norse mistaka →