Etymograph

English

main

Main comes from Middle English mayn.

  1. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500mayn
  2. Englishearliest quotation 1664main

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500mayn
  2. Englishearliest quotation 1664main

Earliest quotation: 1664, John Tillotson, Sermon I. The Wisdom of Being Religious. Job XXVIII. 28.: “Religion direct us rather to ſecure inward peace than…”

The story

The word is cognate with Old High German megīn (‘strong, mighty’) (modern German Möge, Vermögen (‘power, wealth’)), and also akin to Old English magan (‘to be able to’).

Every English word from Middle English mayn

Another origin of main

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*megʰ-‘be able’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*maginą‘strength, power, might’reconstructed
  3. Old Englishc. 450–1150mæġen‘strength’
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500mayn
  5. Englishtodaymain

The word is cognate with Old High German magen, megin, Old Norse magn, megn, megin, Old Saxon megin. More recent senses are derived from the adjective.

Another origin of main

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mon-u-uncertain
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)meh₂-‘to beckon’uncertain
  3. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*méh₂-r̥ ~ *mh₂-én-uncertain
  4. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*manus‘hand’reconstructed
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmanus‘hand’
  6. Old Frenchc. 842–1400main
  7. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600same form‘hand’
  8. Frenchc. 1600–presentsame form‘hand’uncertain
  9. Englishtodaysame form

Evidence is lacking for a derivation from French main (‘hand’).

Today it means

adj Of chief or leading importance; prime, principal.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Middle English mayn / main

Shirt and support for this word