Where does “moe” come from?

moe (Old French) comes from Frankish mauwa, from Proto-Germanic mawwō, from Proto-Indo-European mewH- — to wash, wet; to make wet, wash; wet.

moe (Old French): mouth

Definitions

  1. mouth

Ancestry of “moe”, step by step

moe traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Frankish mauwa

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frankishmauwa—
2Proto-Germanicmawwōmuff, sleeve; sleeve
3Proto-Indo-EuropeanmewH-to wash, wet; to make wet, wash; wet

via Frankish mauwu

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frankishmauwusleeve, wrap; pout, protruding lip; sleeve

Words derived from “moe”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European mewH- →Every word from Proto-Germanic mawwō →Every word from Frankish mauwa →