Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “months” come from?

Months derives from Middle English moneth, Old English mōnaþ, and Proto-Indo-European mḗh₁n̥s, ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root meh₁-.

months (English): plural of month; API pl; A woman's period;...

Definitions

  1. plural of month; API pl; A woman's period;...

Ancestry of “months”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishmonthA period into which a year is divided,...
2Middle Englishmonethmonth
3Old Englishmōnaþmonth
4Proto-Germanicmēnōþsmonth
5Proto-Indo-Europeanmḗh₁n̥smoon; month
6Proto-Indo-Europeanmeh₁-to measure

Words derived from “months”

  • monthslong
Every word from Proto-Indo-European meh₁- →