Where does “moral” come from?
Moral comes from Middle English moral, from Old French moral, from Latin morālis, from the Latin suffix -ālis, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European mē-.
moral (English): Of or relating to principles of right and wrong...
Definitions
- Of or relating to principles of right and wrong...
Ancestry of “moral”, step by step
moral traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Spanish moral
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spanish | moral | moral; morals, standard; morale |
| 2 | Spanish | mora | a mulberry, a mulberry fruit; default; mora |
| 3 | Vulgar Latin | mora | delay, or any duration of time; hindrance |
| 4 | Latin | mōrum | mulberry (fruit) |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | μόρον | black mulberry; blackberry |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | mórom | mulberry, blackberry |