Where does “mistrust” come from?
Mistrust comes from Middle English mis- combined with English trust, ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European roots including mey- and meit- relating to exchange or measurement.
mistrust (English): Lack of trust or confidence; distrust, untrust;...
Definitions
- Lack of trust or confidence; distrust, untrust;...
Ancestry of “mistrust”, 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... |