Where does “mite” come from?
Mite comes from Old English mīte, from Proto-Germanic mītǭ and maitaną, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European mai-.
mite (English): Any of many minute arachnids which, along with...
Definitions
- Any of many minute arachnids which, along with...
Ancestry of “mite”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | mite | — |
| 2 | Old English | mīte | mite, tiny insect |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | mītǭ | biting insect; literally, cutter; biting insect |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | maitaną | to cut, hew; to cut off, sever |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | mēi- | — |
Words derived from “mite”