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