Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “mutilate” come from?

Mutilate comes from Latin mutilatus, past participle of mutilo, derived from the adjective mutilus, which is related to Latin multa and multo, tracing back through Proto-Indo-European h₂melǵ- and mel-.

mutilate (English): To physically harm as to impair use, notably by...

Definitions

  1. To physically harm as to impair use, notably by...

Ancestry of “mutilate”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinmutilatusmutilated
2Latinmutilō—
3LatinmultoI punish; I sentence; I fine; by much, by far; a...
4Latinmultusmuch; many
5Proto-Italicmoltos—
6Proto-Indo-Europeanml̥tóscrumbled, crumpled
7Proto-Indo-Europeanmel-soft; tender; weak; to deceive; to rub
8Proto-Indo-Europeanmey-to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange

Words derived from “mutilate”

  • mutilator
  • mutilative
  • mutilatee
  • mutilater
Every word from Proto-Indo-European mey- →