Where does “mister” come from?
Mister derives from English master, from French masse, from Latin -arius, ultimately from Latin minae.
mister (English): A title conferred on an adult male, usually when...
Definitions
- A title conferred on an adult male, usually when...
Ancestry of “mister”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | master | Someone who has control over something or... |
| 2 | Middle English | maister | master; lord; ruler |
| 3 | Old English | mægester | master |
| 4 | Latin | magister | teacher; master; a title of the Middle Ages,... |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | magisteros | bigger, greater |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | méǵh₂isteros | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | méǵh₂s | big, great |