Where does “mad” come from?
mad (Middle English) comes from Old English ġemǣd, from Proto-Germanic maidijaną, from Proto-Germanic maidaz, from Proto-Indo-European mēy- — soft, tender, dear.
mad (Middle English): Mad, insane, deranged; not of sound mind;...
Definitions
- Mad, insane, deranged; not of sound mind;...
Ancestry of “mad”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | ġemǣd | — |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | maidijaną | to exchange, change |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | maidaz | hurt, wounded; mad, foolish; angry, enraged |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | mēy- | soft, tender, dear |