Where does “מאי” come from?
מאי (Hebrew) comes from German mai, from Middle High German meie, from Old High German meio, from Latin Māius, from Latin Maia, from Ancient Greek μαῖα, from Ancient Greek μήτηρ, from Proto-Hellenic mā́tēr — mother.
מאי (Hebrew): what
Definitions
- what
Ancestry of “מאי”, step by step
מאי traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via German mai
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | mai | May (month) |
| 2 | Middle High German | meie | May |
| 3 | Old High German | meio | May |
| 4 | Latin | Māius | “month”}} of May |
| 5 | Latin | Maia | nominative feminine singular of Maius; nominative... |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | μαῖα | midwife; foster mother, nurse; good mother, dame |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | μήτηρ | mother; source or origin |
| 8 | Proto-Hellenic | mā́tēr | mother |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | méh₂tēr | mother |
via Aramaic מאי
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aramaic | מאי | what, why |