Where does “mountainous” come from?
Mountainous derives from Old French montaingneus, from Old French montaigne, from Vulgar Latin montania, from Latin mons meaning mountain, from Proto-Indo-European men-.
mountainous (English): Having many mountains; characterized by...
Definitions
- Having many mountains; characterized by...
Ancestry of “mountainous”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Mountain | a steam locomotive of the 4-8-2 wheel arrangement |
| 2 | Middle English | mountayne | A mountain; a mount or peak; A lump or pile |
| 3 | Anglo-Norman | montaigne | — |
| 4 | Latin | montānia | mountainous area |
| 5 | Latin | montem | accusative singular of mōns; mountain |
| 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 | — |