Where does “moonshine” come from?
Moonshine derives from Middle English shinen and Middle English mine, tracing through Proto-Germanic mēnô and Proto-Indo-European mḗh₁n̥s, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots skai-, men-, and men-.
moonshine (English): The light of the moon; High-proof alcohol that...
Definitions
- The light of the moon; High-proof alcohol that...
Ancestry of “moonshine”, step by step
moonshine traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English moon
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | moon | Any natural satellite of a planet; A month,... |
| 2 | Middle English | mone | A lamentation; A moan, complaint; The celestial... |
| 3 | Old English | mān | bad, criminal, false; shameful act; crime;... |
| 4 | Sanskrit | महादेव | the "great God" |
| 5 | Sanskrit | महा | combining form of महत्; buffalo; great, large,... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-Aryan | maźʰā́ | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | maȷ́ʰā́ | big, great |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | méǵh₂s | big, great |
via English shine
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | shine | To emit light; To reflect light; To distinguish... |
| 2 | Middle English | shinen | Alternative form of schinen |
| 3 | Old English | sċīnan | to shine |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | skīnan | to shine; to appear |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | skīnaną | to shine; to appear |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)ḱeh₁y- | to shine, shimmer |