Where does “mystery” come from?
mystery (Middle English) comes from Anglo-Norman misterie, from Latin mystērium, from Ancient Greek μυστήριον, from Ancient Greek μύστης, from Ancient Greek μυέω, from Ancient Greek -έω, from Proto-Indo-European -éyeti, from Proto-Indo-European -yeti — Creates transitive imperfective verbs from roots.
mystery (Middle English): Alternative form of mysterie
Definitions
- Alternative form of mysterie
Ancestry of “mystery”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anglo-Norman | misterie | — |
| 2 | Latin | mystērium | mystery (secret rite or worship) |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | μυστήριον | revealed secret; mystery, secret; object used in... |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | μύστης | one who has been initiated, initiate |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | μυέω | I initiate |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | -έω | Used to form verbs from nouns, adjectives and... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -éyeti | Forms causative imperfective verbs from roots;... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -yeti | Creates transitive imperfective verbs from roots |