Where does “mote” come from?
mote (English) comes from English motte, from French motte, from Old French mote, from Medieval Latin mota, from Frankish *mot, from Proto-Germanic *motta, from Proto-Germanic mutô, from Proto-Indo-European (s)mut- — dark, dirty.
mote (English): A small particle; a speck; May or might; Must
Definitions
- A small particle; a speck; May or might; Must
Ancestry of “mote”, step by step
mote traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English motte
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | motte | A raised earth mound, often topped with a wooden... |
| 2 | French | motte | motte; clod, lump of earth; block |
| 3 | Old French | mote | mound, embankment |
| 4 | Medieval Latin | mota | a mound, hill; nominative feminine singular of... |
| 5 | Frankish | *mot | — |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | *motta | — |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | mutô | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)mut- | dark, dirty |