Where does “mai” come from?
mai (Old French) comes from Latin Māius, from Latin Maia, from Ancient Greek μαῖα, from Ancient Greek μήτηρ, from Proto-Hellenic mā́tēr, from Proto-Indo-European méh₂tēr — mother.
Ancestry of “mai”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Latin | Māius | — |
| 2 | Latin | Maia | nominative feminine singular of Maius; nominative... |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | μαῖα | midwife; foster mother, nurse; good mother, dame |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | μήτηρ | mother; source or origin |
| 5 | Proto-Hellenic | mā́tēr | mother |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | méh₂tēr | mother |