English
mirror
Mirror comes from Old French mireor ‘looker’, from mirer ‘to look at’, from Latin mīror ‘to wonder at’, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)mey- ‘to laugh’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)mey-‘to laugh, to be glad’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*sméyros‘laughing, smiling’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*smeiros‘wonderful’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmīrus‘to wonder at’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEmīror‘wonder at’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400mirer‘mirror (lit. looker)’
- Old French, derivedc. 842–1400mireorliterally ‘looker, watcher’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500mirour‘a mirror’
- Englishearliest quotation 1590mirror
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)mey-‘to laugh, to be glad’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*sméyros‘laughing, smiling’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*smeiros‘wonderful’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmīrus‘to wonder at’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEmīror‘wonder at’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400mirer‘mirror (lit. looker)’
- Old French, derivedc. 842–1400mireorliterally ‘looker, watcher’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500mirour‘a mirror’
- Englishearliest quotation 1590mirror
Earliest quotation: 1590, Edmund Spenser, (please specify the book): “O goddess, heavenly bright, / Mirror of grace and…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *smey- ‘to laugh, to be glad’
through Latin mīrus ‘wonderful’
through Latin mīror ‘wonder at’
marvel, miracle, admire, admirable, mirabilis, mirador, 6 more
through Old French mirer ‘look at’
Today it means
noun A smooth surface, usually made of glass with reflective material painted on the underside, that reflects light so as to give an image of what is in front of it.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *(s)mey- / mirror