Where does “mēd” come from?
mēd (Old English) comes from Proto-West Germanic miʀdu, from Proto-Germanic mizdō, from Proto-Indo-European misdʰós, from Proto-Indo-European mēy- — soft, tender, dear.
mēd (Old English): reward, meed, recompense
Ancestry of “mēd”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Proto-West Germanic | miʀdu | reward |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | mizdō | reward |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | misdʰós | reward, prize; wages, payment |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | mēy- | soft, tender, dear |