Where does “mountain” come from?
Mountain comes from Middle English montaigne, from Old French muntaine, from Latin mons meaning "mountain," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European men-.
mountain (English): An elevation of land of considerable dimensions...
Definitions
- An elevation of land of considerable dimensions...
Ancestry of “mountain”, step by step
mountain traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English montaigne
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | montaigne | Alternative form of mountayne |
| 2 | Old French | muntaigne | mountain |
| 3 | Vulgar Latin | montania | mountain |
| 4 | Latin | montanius | mountainous |
| 5 | Latin | montanus | of or pertaining to a mountain, especially— |
| 6 | Latin | mons | mountain, mount; towering mass, heap, great... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | monti | — |
| 8 | Portuguese | Monte | mount; a mountain or large hill |
| 9 | Old Portuguese | monte | — |