Where does “mine” come from?
mine (Old French) comes from Latin mina, from Gaulish mēnā, from Proto-Celtic *meinis, from Proto-Indo-European mēy(H)nis, from Proto-Indo-European (s)mēy(H)- — to cut, hew.
Ancestry of “mine”, step by step
mine traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Latin mina
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | mina | A Greek weight equal to 100 drachmas; A Greek... |
| 2 | Gaulish | mēnā | ore, mine |
| 3 | Proto-Celtic | *meinis | ore, metal |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | mēy(H)nis | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)mēy(H)- | to cut, hew |
via Late Latin mina
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Late Latin | mina | A Greek weight equal to 100 drachmas; A Greek... |