Etymology Explorer › Old French

Where does “most” come from?

most (Old French) comes from Latin mustum, from Latin mustus, from Proto-Indo-European mūs- — fly, stinging fly, gnat; moist, damp; swamp,...

Ancestry of “most”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinmustummust; unfermented or partially fermented grape...
2Latinmustusfresh, young; unfermented
3Proto-Indo-Europeanmūs-fly, stinging fly, gnat; moist, damp; swamp,...

Words derived from “most”

  • must
Every word from Proto-Indo-European mūs- →