English
mediate
Mediate comes from Middle English mediat(e) ‘intermediate’, from Late Latin mediātus ‘having been in the middle’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *me ‘near, by, with’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*me‘near, by, with’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*médʰyos‘between’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*meðios‘middle’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmedius‘middle, mid, central, between, midway between, in the center’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEmediō‘to divide in the middle’
- Late Latin, derivedc. 200–600 CEmediātus‘having been in the middle’perfect passive participle of mediō
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500mediat(e)‘intermediate’
- Englishearliest quotation 1605mediate
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*me‘near, by, with’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*médʰyos‘between’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*meðios‘middle’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmedius‘middle, mid, central, between, midway between, in the center’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEmediō‘to divide in the middle’
- Late Latin, derivedc. 200–600 CEmediātus‘having been in the middle’perfect passive participle of mediō
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500mediat(e)‘intermediate’
- Englishearliest quotation 1605mediate
Earliest quotation: 1605, Francis Bacon, (please specify |book=1 or 2): “mediate positive proof”.
first attested first attested in the 1440s (as stated in the etymology)
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *médʰyos ‘between’
mid, midst, maidan, meso, 31 more
through Proto-Italic *meðios ‘middle’
through Latin medius ‘middle, mid, central, between, midway between,…’
mean, medium, medal, demi, milieu, mezzanine, moiety, moyen, medulla, intermezzo, medio, 22 more
Today it means
verb To resolve differences, or to bring about a settlement, between conflicting parties.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *me / mediate