Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “swainmote” come from?

swainmote (English) comes from English mote, from English motte, from French motte, from Old French mote, from Medieval Latin mota, from Frankish *mot, from Proto-Germanic *motta, from Proto-Germanic mutô — dark, dirty.

swainmote (English): A court held before the verderers of the forest...

Definitions

  1. A court held before the verderers of the forest...

Ancestry of “swainmote”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishmoteA small particle; a speck; May or might; Must
2EnglishmotteA raised earth mound, often topped with a wooden...
3Frenchmottemotte; clod, lump of earth; block
4Old Frenchmotemound, embankment
5Medieval Latinmotaa mound, hill; nominative feminine singular of...
6Frankish*mot—
7Proto-Germanic*motta—
8Proto-Germanicmutô—
9Proto-Indo-European(s)mut-dark, dirty

Words derived from “swainmote”

  • swanimote
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)mut- →