English
Morphew
Morphew comes from Old French malfé, and goes back to Latin malefatus.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmalefatus
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400malfé
- EnglishtodayMorphew
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmalefatus
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400malfé
- EnglishtodayMorphew
A compound of male ‘badly, wrong’ + for ‘speak, say’
Proto-Indo-European *(s)mel- ‘false, erroneous’
Proto-Indo-European *(s)molos
Proto-Italic *malos
Archaic Latin malos
Latin malus ‘bad, wicked’
Latin male ‘badly, wrong’
Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- ‘to shine, glow light’
Proto-Indo-European *bʰéh₂ti ‘to speak’
Proto-Italic *fāōr ‘to speak’
Latin for ‘speak, say’
The story
Norman French name borrowed from Old French malfé, malfeü, which in turn is derived from Latin malefatus, malefatutus, the perfect active participle of malefor (‘to speak ill’), from Latin male (‘badly, wrong’) + Latin for (‘speak, say’). The first part is from Proto-Italic *malos, from Proto-Indo-European *mel- (‘to deceive’), cognate with Lithuanian melas (‘lie’) and the first element of Ancient Greek βλάσφημος (blásphēmos, “jinx”). The second part is from Proto-Italic *fāōr, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰéh₂ti (‘to speak’), cognate with the second element of Ancient Greek βλάσφημος (blásphēmos, “jinx”).
Every English word from Latin malefatus
Today it means
name A surname.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin malefatus / Morphew