English
mischievous
Mischievous comes from Middle English myschevous ‘Sorrowful, distraught’.
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500myschevous‘Sorrowful, distraught’
- Englishearliest quotation 1793mischievous
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500myschevous‘Sorrowful, distraught’
- Englishearliest quotation 1793mischievous
Earliest quotation: 1793, Joseph Butler: “...; that good and bad actions at present are…”
Equivalent to mischief + -ous
Proto-Indo-European *kap- ‘head’
…
Old French chever ‘happen’
Old French meschever ‘to bring to grief’
Old French meschief ‘misfortune’
Middle English myschef ‘a troubling or unfortunate situation or event’
English mischief
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *kap- ‘head’
had, case, except, heavy, cash, accept, receive, capacity, catch, behavior, capable, cable, heavily, capture, chase, recipe, reception, occupation, perception, haven, behave, achieve, hawk, recipient, anticipation, anticipate, caption, captive, capsule, deception, captivity, cater, susceptible, cassette, conceive, deceive, deceptive, casket, deceit, chassis, 135 more
through Proto-Indo-European *káput ‘head’
through Proto-Italic *kaput ‘head’
capitalism, capitalize, capitan, escapade, capitaine, 61 more
through Latin caput ‘the head’
capital, captain, chapter, escape, cape, cattle, cabin, capitol, chapel, capita, precipitation, cad, chaplain, capillary, precipitate, cabana, occipital, capa, capote, capitulate, chieftain, caddie, chattel, precipitous, scamper, chabot, scamp, kaput, capuchin, caput, dishevelled, chaperon, cabochon, 68 more
through Vulgar Latin capus
through Old French chief ‘head’
Today it means
adj Causing mischief; injurious.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Middle English myschevous / mischievous