English
modest
Modest comes from Latin modestus ‘moderate, calm, restrained, mild’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *med- ‘to measure’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*med-‘to measure’root as named
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmodestus‘moderate, calm, restrained, mild’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600modeste
- Englishtodaymodest
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*med-‘to measure’root as named
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmodestus‘moderate, calm, restrained, mild’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600modeste
- Englishtodaymodest
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *med- ‘to measure’
must, medical, medicine, modern, model, medication, mud, meditation, med, mood, remedy, moderate, medicinal, modification, mold, blackmail, medic, module, meditate, mould, modulation, moderator, modal, mete, modus, modulate, mote, modulus, modicum, modifiable, modulo, commode, 28 more
Today it means
adj Not bragging or boasting about oneself or one's achievements; unpretentious, humble.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *med- / modest