Etymograph

English

mite

Mite comes from Old English mīte ‘mite, tiny insect’, from Proto-Germanic *maitaną ‘to cut’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *mey- ‘small’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mey-‘small’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*maitaną‘to cut’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*mītǭ‘biting insect’literally ‘cutter’reconstructed
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*mītāreconstructed
  5. Old Englishc. 450–1150mīte‘mite, tiny insect’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500mite
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1803mite

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mey-‘small’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*maitaną‘to cut’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*mītǭ‘biting insect’literally ‘cutter’reconstructed
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*mītāreconstructed
  5. Old Englishc. 450–1150mīte‘mite, tiny insect’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500mite
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1803mite

Earliest quotation: 1803, William Blake: “One mite wrung from the lab'rer's hands Shall buy…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *mey- ‘small’

mean, common, community, commission, communication, mess, minister, meal, ministry, minute, communist, minor, menu, mutual, immune, mere, communicate, min, compromise, missile, communism, commit, ammunition, communal, immunity, mole, minus, communion, premise, dismiss, municipality, mural, ammo, mayhem, noodle, moor, commune, remuneration, intermittent, monolith, 78 more

through Proto-Germanic *maitaną ‘to cut’

met, 2 more

Today it means

noun Any of many minute arachnids which, along with the ticks, comprise subclass Acari (syn. Acarina).

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *mey- / mite

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