Where does “motley” come from?
Motley comes from Anglo-Norman motteley, though the ultimate origin and meaning remain uncertain.
motley (English): Comprising greatly varied elements, to the point...
Definitions
- Comprising greatly varied elements, to the point...
Ancestry of “motley”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | motle | — |
| 2 | Anglo-Norman | motteley | parti-colored |
| 3 | Old English | mōt | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | mōtą | meeting |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | meh₂d- | to be wet, to become wet; to meet, approach,... |
Words derived from “motley”