Where does “mire” come from?
mire (Middle English) comes from French mire, from Italian mira, from Italian mirare, from Latin mīror, from Latin mīrus, from Proto-Italic smeiros, from Proto-Indo-European sméyros, from Proto-Indo-European smey- — to smile; to smear, stroke, wipe, rub; to be...
mire (Middle English): Marshy or swampy land; a mire or peat; A region...
Definitions
- Marshy or swampy land; a mire or peat; A region...
Ancestry of “mire”, step by step
mire traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via French mire
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | mire | aim; foresight; target |
| 2 | Italian | mira | aim; sight; aim, goal, purpose, design,... |
| 3 | Italian | mirare | to aim, to take aim, to sight, to point; to... |
| 4 | Latin | mīror | to be astonished at, marvel at, admire, be amazed at, wonder at |
| 5 | Latin | mīrus | wonderful, marvelous, amazing, surprising, miraculous |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | smeiros | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | sméyros | laughing, smiling |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | smey- | to smile; to smear, stroke, wipe, rub; to be... |