Where does “mauve” come from?
mauve (Middle French) comes from Old French mave, from Old English mæw, from Proto-Germanic maiwiz, from Proto-Germanic maiwaz, from Proto-Germanic maiwijaną — to shout, mew.
Ancestry of “mauve”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old French | mave | gull; seagull |
| 2 | Old English | mæw | gull, seagull |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | maiwiz | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | maiwaz | gull, seagull |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | maiwijaną | to shout, mew |