English
mediocre
Mediocre comes from French médiocre ‘mediocre, middle’, and goes back to Latin mediocris.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmediocris‘in a middle state”, “of middle size”, “middling”, “moderate”, “ordinary’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600médiocre
- Frenchc. 1600–presentmédiocre‘mediocre, middle’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500medioker
- Englishearliest quotation 1825mediocre
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmediocris‘in a middle state”, “of middle size”, “middling”, “moderate”, “ordinary’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600médiocre
- Frenchc. 1600–presentmédiocre‘mediocre, middle’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500medioker
- Englishearliest quotation 1825mediocre
Earliest quotation: 1825, Present State of Literature: “Of the hundreds of inferior poets, who are continually…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ- ‘sharp’
hear, edge, egg, acid, ear, acute, hammer, axe, acne, oxide, acetate, paragon, acacia, acupuncture, acuity, hark, acumen, acme, acyl, rosacea, roselle, 73 more
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱrós ‘sharp’
eager, vinegar, exacerbate, acerbic, acrimony, acrid, exacerbation, 14 more
Today it means
adj Not excellent or outstanding, usually disappointingly so.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin mediocris / mediocre