English dictionary, thesaurus, translations & etymology

"M" Word Origins

Where do words come from? Trace the origin and history of any English word, from its Latin, Greek or Old English roots through to its modern meaning. Every etymology is sourced.

“M” Word Origins

Borrowed directly from Japanese 味噌 (miso).

From Ancient Greek misogynēs, from miseō ("I hate") + gynē ("woman").

From misogynist + -ic.

From Greek "misos" (hatred) plus "gynē" (woman).

From mis- + order.

From mis- + perform.

From mis- + persuade.

From mis- + place.

From Middle English misplesen, equivalent to mis- + please. Compare Old French mesplaire.

misproportioned

From mis- + proportioned.

From Old English mis- ("wrongly") plus read, going back to misrǣdan, "to advise or read incorrectly."

From misreckon + -ing.

misrecollection

From mis- + recollection.

From mis- + regard.

From mis- + respect.

From Old English missan, "to fail to hit or notice," from a Germanic root meaning "to go wrong." The title "Miss" comes from a shortened form of "mistress."

From mis- ("wrongly") plus shapen, an old past participle of shape.

From misshapen + -ness.

Formed from "miss" plus the informal ending "-ie," the same pattern used in words like "auntie."

From Latin missile, "something thrown," from mittere, "to send."

By surface analysis, miss + -ing.

From Latin missio, "a sending," from mittere, "to send."

From mission plus the suffix -ary, "relating to."

Borrowed from an Ojibwe word meaning "great river."

Learned borrowing from Medieval Latin missīvus, from mittō (“to send”).

From mis- + solve.

From a French rendering of a Native American word referring to people who used dugout canoes.

From mis- ("wrongly") plus step.

From mis- + stowed.

A casual pronunciation of "Mrs.," itself shortened from "mistress."

From mis- + swear.

From miss plus the affectionate suffix -y.

From Old English mist, "mist, fog, or dimness," from an ancient Germanic root meaning "cloud" or "drizzle."

From Old Norse mistaka, "to take in error," from mis- ("wrongly") plus taka ("to take").

The past participle of mistake, formed with mistake plus -n.

From mistaken plus the adverb-forming suffix -ly.

An unstressed variant of "master," in use since around the 15th century.

From misty + -fy.

Inherited from Middle English mystynesse; equivalent to misty + -ness.

From Old English misteltān, from mistel ("mistletoe") plus tān ("twig"). The final syllable was later mistaken for "toe."

From mis- ("wrongly") plus treat.

From Old French maistresse, the feminine form of maistre, "master."

From mis- ("wrongly") plus trial.

From mis- ("wrongly") plus trust.

From mistrust + -ful.

From mis- + truth. Cognate with Middle High German missetriuwede.

From Old English mistiġ, formed from mist plus -y.

From mis- ("wrongly") plus understand.