"M" Word Origins

monosexual

Origin

From mono- + sexual. In the second sense, by analogy with bisexual.

monosyllabic

Origin

Borrowed from Late Latin monosyllabicus, from Latin monosyllabus, from Hellenistic Ancient Greek μονοσύλλαβος (monosúllabos). By surface analysis, monosyllable + -ic or mono- + syllabic.

monotasking

Origin

From mono- + task + -ing, modelled on multitasking.

monotheism

Origin

A learned 17th-century coinage, mono- + theism, from (μονός (monós, “one”)) and (θεός (theós, “god, deity”) + -ισμός (-ismós)) The term parallels the earlier polytheism, atheism (the simplex theism being slightly later). The term was coined by Henry More, ca. 1660, in explicit juxtaposition with both atheism and polytheism. It was redefined through etymological fallacy by Daniel Webster ca. 1828.

monotone

Late Latin

From Late Latin monotonus, "unvarying in tone," from Greek monotonos, "steady, unwavering."

monotonic

Origin

From Ancient Greek μονότονος (monótonos, “monotone”) + -ικός (-ikós, “-ic”), equivalent to monotone + -ic.

monotonous

Origin

From "monotone" plus the adjective-forming suffix "-ous."

monotony

French

From French monotonie, ultimately from Greek monotonia, "sameness of tone."

monoxide

Origin

Formed from "mon-" (one) plus "oxide," paralleling terms like dioxide and trioxide.

Monroe

Old English

From Old English mann ("man") plus the River Roe in Northern Ireland, meaning "man from the River Roe."

Mons

Latin

Borrowed from Latin mōns (“mountain”). Doublet of mount.

Monsanto

Portuguese

Borrowed from Portuguese Monsanto.

monseigneur

Middle French

From Middle French monseigneur, literally "my lord" — a doublet of "monsieur" and "monsignor."

monsieur

French

From French monsieur, literally "my lord" — a doublet of "monseigneur" and "monsignor."

monsignor

French

From Italian monsignore, shaped by influence from the French monseigneur — a doublet of "monsieur" and "monseigneur."

monsoon

Dutch

Borrowed through Portuguese and Dutch from an Arabic word for "season," related to a verb meaning "to mark" or "brand."

monster

Latin

From Old French monstre, from Latin monstrum — originally something viewed as an omen or warning sign, later "a freakish creature."

monsterize

Origin

From monster + -ize.

monstrosity

Latin

From Middle French monstruosité, ultimately from Latin monstruosus, "monstrous," by surface analysis "monstrous" plus "-ity."

monstrous

Latin

From Old French monstrueuse, ultimately from Latin monstrosus — from the same root as "monster."

mont

Latin

From French mont ("mountain"), itself from Latin mons — the same root behind English words like "mountain" and "promontory".

montage

French

An unadapted borrowing from French montage, "assembly" or "putting together."

Montaigne

French

From French Montaigne, equivalent to English Mountain.

Montana

Latin

From Latin montana ("mountainous"), via Spanish montaña ("mountain").

montane

Origin

The adjective is derived from Latin montānus (“of or pertaining to a mountain”). Synchronically, it can be seen to have the suffix English -ane (variant of -an (suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’ forming adjectives)). Montānus is derived from mōns (“mount, mountain”) (from Proto-Indo-European *men- (“to stand out, to tower”)) + -ānus (suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’). The noun is probably derived from the adjective.

montanha

Origin

From Portuguese Montanha.

montant

Origin

From Italian montante. Doublet of mountant.

Montauk

Origin

From the Montaukett tribal name, roughly meaning "the fort country."

monte

Spanish

From Spanish monte ("mountain"); the card-game sense comes from the pile of undealt cards, pictured as a little "mountain" on the table. Related to "mount."

Montecito

Spanish

From Spanish montecito, "little mountain" or "little woodland."

Montenegro

Origin

A calque of Serbo-Croatian Crna Gora, meaning "black mountain."

Monterey

Spanish

From the Californian city Monterey, itself borrowed from Spanish Monterrey ("mountain of the king"), from monte ("mountain") + rey ("king").

montero

Spanish

Borrowed from Spanish montero ("huntsman"), from monte ("mountain, hunting ground").

Monterrey

Spanish

From Spanish Monterrey, from monte ("mountain") plus rei ("king").

Montevideo

Spanish

The first syllables likely come from Spanish or Portuguese monte ("hill"), referring to a hill overlooking the city.

Montezuma

Nahuatl

From Classical Nahuatl Moteuczoma, meaning roughly "he frowns like a lord."

Montgomery

Old French

From a Norman place name meaning "Gomeric's hill" in Old French.

month

Old English

From Old English monath, going back to a Proto-Germanic word for "month" that is itself descended from the same ancient root as "moon" — months were originally counted by moon cycles.

monthly

Origin

Built from month plus the adjective-forming suffix -ly, following the same pattern as "daily" and "weekly."

Montmartre

French

Borrowed from French Montmartre.

Montoya

Spanish

From Spanish Montoya, from Basque Montoia.

Montparnasse

French

Borrowed from French Montparnasse.

Montrose

Scottish Gaelic

From Scottish Gaelic moine ("moor") plus rois ("peninsula").

montross

Origin

Perhaps an older form of Montrose.

montserrat

Origin

From Catalan Montserrat. The island was named after the Virgin of Montserrat.

monument

Latin

From Old French monument, from Latin monumentum ("a reminder, memorial"), from monere ("to remind, warn") — the same root behind "admonish."

monumental

Late Latin

From Late Latin monumentalis, built on Latin monumentum ("monument") plus the adjective suffix -al.

moo

Origin

An onomatopoeic word — it simply imitates the sound cattle make.