Etymology Explorer › Old English

Where does “mǣnan” come from?

mǣnan (Old English) comes from Proto-West Germanic *mainijan, from Proto-Germanic mainijaną, from Proto-Indo-European mein-.

mǣnan (Old English): to complain over; grieve; mourn; mean, intend;...

Definitions

  1. to complain over; grieve; mourn; mean, intend;...

Ancestry of “mǣnan”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-West Germanic*mainijan—
2Proto-Germanicmainijanąto mean, think
3Proto-Indo-Europeanmein-—

Words derived from “mǣnan”

  • mean
  • meanest
  • meanness
  • meaner
  • demean
  • meantone
  • meanie
  • meany
  • unmean
  • misdemean
  • meanish
  • trimean
  • demeaner
  • geomean
  • demeaneth
  • meanless
  • intermean
  • meanable
  • semimean
  • meanship
  • means
  • meanling
  • whaddayamean
  • mismean
Every word from Proto-Indo-European mein- →