English
mentor
Mentor comes from French mentor ‘mentor, guide’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *men- ‘to think’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*men-‘to think’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*méntōrreconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*méntōrreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEΜέντωρMéntōr
- Frenchc. 1600–presentmentor‘mentor, guide’
- Englishearliest quotation 2006mentor
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*men-‘to think’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*méntōrreconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*méntōrreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEΜέντωρMéntōr
- Frenchc. 1600–presentmentor‘mentor, guide’
- Englishearliest quotation 2006mentor
Earliest quotation: 2006, Lisa Johnson: “Many mentors claim that they would work with the…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *men- ‘to think’
money, music, mind, amount, mouth, remain, museum, mountain, monster, min, comment, mount, permanent, auto, mental, monetary, mention, demonstration, monitor, monk, maya, monastery, amnesty, mint, muse, mosaic, summon, ming, mas, mandarin, mania, monte, muster, monstrous, prominence, amnesia, manic, monument, imminent, mantra, 126 more
through Ancient Greek Μέντωρ
Today it means
noun A wise and trusted counselor or teacher.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *men- / mentor