Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “more” come from?

More comes from Middle English moren, Old English moru, Proto-Germanic maizô, and Proto-Indo-European mer-, a root of uncertain ultimate meaning.

more (English): comparative degree of many: in greater number;...

Definitions

  1. comparative degree of many: in greater number;...

Ancestry of “more”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishmoreroot
2Old Englishmāramore
3Proto-West Germanic*maiʀō—
4Proto-Germanicmaizôcomparative degree of *mikilaz; more
5Proto-Indo-Europeanmē-to measure; endeavour, will, temper; many

Words derived from “more”

  • mores
  • uttermost
  • moe
  • moreish
  • moreness
  • overmore
  • nethermore
  • growmore
  • morefold
  • moé
  • moeurs
  • uttermore
  • moeblob
  • moa
  • moro
Every word from Proto-Indo-European mē- →