English
mete
Mete comes from Old English metan ‘to measure, mete out, mark off, compare,…’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *med-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*med-‘to measure, consider’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*metaną‘to measure’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*metan‘to measure’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150metan‘to measure, mete out, mark off, compare, estimate’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500meten
- Englishearliest quotation 1611mete
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*med-‘to measure, consider’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*metaną‘to measure’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*metan‘to measure’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150metan‘to measure, mete out, mark off, compare, estimate’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500meten
- Englishearliest quotation 1611mete
Earliest quotation: 1611, The Holy Bible, London: […] Robert Barker: “For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *med- ‘to measure, consider’
must, model, modern, medical, mode, medicine, mood, mud, medication, module, modification, mold, meditation, remedy, mould, blackmail, med, medicinal, modulation, modal, medic, modus, meditate, modulus, modicum, modulate, modulo, modifiable, mote, 31 more
through Old English metan ‘to measure, mete out, mark off, compare,…’
through Middle English meten
Another origin of mete
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*meh₁-‘to measure’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*mētāreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmēta‘post, goal, marker’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400mete‘boundary, boundary marker’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishtodaysame form
Today it means
verb To dispense, measure in order to dispense, allot (especially punishment, reward etc.).
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *med- / mete