Where does “Matilda” come from?
Matilda (Finnish) comes from English Matilda, from Old French Mathilde, from Old High German maht, from Proto-West Germanic mahti, from Proto-Germanic mahtiz, from Proto-Germanic mahtuz, from Proto-Indo-European mógʰtis, from Proto-Indo-European meǵʰ- — to be able.
Ancestry of “Matilda”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Matilda | Either of two British infantry tanks in use... |
| 2 | Old French | Mathilde | — |
| 3 | Old High German | maht | might |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | mahti | might, power |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | mahtiz | power, ability; strength, force |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | mahtuz | might, power |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | mógʰtis | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | meǵʰ- | to be able |