Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “mouthpiece” come from?

Mouthpiece derives from English mouth and piece, with piece coming from Middle English pece, Old French piece, and Latin pettia, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European men-.

mouthpiece (English): A part of any device that functions in or near...

Definitions

  1. A part of any device that functions in or near...

Ancestry of “mouthpiece”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishpieceA part of a larger whole, usually in such a form...
2Middle Englishpecepiece; morsel; bit
3Old Frenchpiecepiece, bit, part; circa 1170, Chrétien de Troyes
4Vulgar Latinpettiapiece, portion
5Latinpettiapiece, portion
6Gaulishpettyā—
7Proto-Celtickʷezdispiece, portion
Every word from Proto-Celtic kʷezdis →