English
mindful
Mindful comes from Old English ġemyndfull ‘of good memory’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *men- ‘to think, remember’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*men-‘to think, remember’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*gamundiz‘remembrance, memory’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*gamundi‘memory, remembrance’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150ġemynd‘memory’
- Old English, derivedc. 450–1150ġemyndfullas ġemyndful‘of good memory’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500myndeful
- Englishearliest quotation 1596mindful
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*men-‘to think, remember’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*gamundiz‘remembrance, memory’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*gamundi‘memory, remembrance’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150ġemynd‘memory’
- Old English, derivedc. 450–1150ġemyndfullas ġemyndful‘of good memory’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500myndeful
- Englishearliest quotation 1596mindful
Earliest quotation: 1596, Edmund Spenser, Book V, Canto V: “These noble warriors, mindefull to pursew / The last…”.
Formed from mind + -ful
Proto-Indo-European *men- ‘to think’
…
Proto-Germanic *mundiz ‘memory’
Proto-West Germanic *mundi
Old English mynd ‘mind’
Middle English minde
English mind
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *men- ‘to think, remember’
money, music, amount, comment, mental, mouth, mention, museum, remain, permanent, mountain, monster, auto, mount, monitor, monetary, demonstration, mentor, monk, monument, maya, min, dementia, monte, monastery, amnesty, muse, mosaic, summon, menace, mas, mantra, mont, mania, muster, monstrous, mint, amnesia, manic, imminent, 127 more
Today it means
adj aware (of something); attentive, heedful.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *men- / mindful