Where does “mischief” come from?
mischief (Middle English) comes from Middle English myschef, from Old French meschief, from Old French meschever, from Old French mes, from Latin magis, from Dutch magisch, from Dutch magie, from French magie.
mischief (Middle English): Alternative form of myschef
Definitions
- Alternative form of myschef
Ancestry of “mischief”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | myschef | A troubling or unfortunate situation or event; an... |
| 2 | Old French | meschief | misfortune; mishap; evil deed, wrong |
| 3 | Old French | meschever | to fail; to make a mistake; to suffer a... |
| 4 | Old French | mes | but; my |
| 5 | Latin | magis | more; more greatly; better |
| 6 | Dutch | magisch | magical, controlled or determined by supernatural... |
| 7 | Dutch | magie | magic, sorcery occult woo, black or white magic, etc.; hence supernatural occurrences or phenonomena |
| 8 | French | magie | magic; A magical, surprising, fascinating feat;... |
| 9 | Middle French | magie | — |
| 10 | Latin | magīa | magic, sorcery |
| 11 | Ancient Greek | μαγεία | theology of the Magians |
| 12 | Ancient Greek | Μάγος | magician, and derogatorily sorcerer, trickster,... |
| 13 | Old Persian | 𐎶𐎦𐏁 | priest |
| 14 | Proto-Iranian | magúš | — |
| 15 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | magʰúš | — |