Where does “wonderment” come from?
Wonderment comes from Middle English wonder combined with Old French -ment, which derives from Latin -mentum, a suffix built on Latin mens meaning mind, from Proto-Indo-European méntis and the root men-.
wonderment (English): A state, arousal, or thing describable by wonder,...
Definitions
- A state, arousal, or thing describable by wonder,...
Ancestry of “wonderment”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | -ment | Used to form nouns from verbs, the nouns having... |
| 2 | Middle English | -ment | Forms nouns denoting a result or action from... |
| 3 | Old French | -ment | Used to form adverbs, most of the time equivalent... |
| 4 | Latin | -mentum | instrument, medium, or result of; e.g.... |
| 5 | Latin | -menta | nominative plural of -mentum; accusative plural... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -mn̥ | Creates action nouns or result nouns from verbs |