Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “motle” come from?

motle (Middle English) comes from Anglo-Norman motteley, from Old English mōt, from Proto-Germanic mōtą, from Proto-Indo-European meh₂d- — to be wet, to become wet; to meet, approach,...

Ancestry of “motle”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Anglo-Normanmotteleyparti-colored
2Old Englishmōt—
3Proto-Germanicmōtąmeeting
4Proto-Indo-Europeanmeh₂d-to be wet, to become wet; to meet, approach,...

Words derived from “motle”

  • motley
  • mottle
  • mottler
  • motleyness
Every word from Proto-Indo-European meh₂d- →