Where does “muttish” come from?
muttish (English) comes from English mutt, from English muttonhead, from English mutton, from Middle English motoun, from Old French mouton, from Vulgar Latin molto, from Gaulish multon-, from Proto-Celtic moltos — to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange.
muttish (English): Resembling or characteristic of a mutt
Definitions
- Resembling or characteristic of a mutt
Ancestry of “muttish”, step by step
muttish traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English mutt
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | mutt | A mongrel dog (or sometimes cat); an animal of mixed breed or uncertain origin |
| 2 | English | muttonhead | A stupid or foolish person |
| 3 | English | mutton | The flesh of sheep used as food; The flesh of... |
| 4 | Middle English | motoun | The meat of sheep or a piece of it; mutton; A... |
| 5 | Old French | mouton | sheep; mutton |
| 6 | Vulgar Latin | molto | wether |
| 7 | Gaulish | multon- | sheep |
| 8 | Proto-Celtic | moltos | ram, wether |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | (h₂)moldus | soft, weak |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | mel- | soft; tender; weak; to deceive; to rub |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | mey- | to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange |
via English ish
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ish | Pronunciation spelling of is; somewhat,... |
| 2 | English | -ish | Typical of, similar to, being like; Somewhat,... |
| 3 | Middle English | -ish | Alternative form of -yssh |
| 4 | Old English | -isċ | -ish |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | -isk | Creates adjectives from nouns |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | -iskaz | Forms adjectives from nouns with the sense of... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -iskos | Characteristic of, typical of, pertaining to |