Etymograph

English

mould

Mould comes from Middle English molde ‘mould, cast’, from Latin modulus ‘a small measure or interval’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *med-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*med-‘to measure’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*medos‘measure’reconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmodus‘measure’
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEmodulus‘a small measure or interval’
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500molde‘mould, cast’
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1847mould

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*med-‘to measure’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*medos‘measure’reconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmodus‘measure’
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEmodulus‘a small measure or interval’
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500molde‘mould, cast’
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1847mould

Earliest quotation: 1847, editorial staff, Decorations in Leather: “The design it is to assume is formed in…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *med- ‘to measure’

must, moderate, meditation, modest, blackmail, moderator, modernize, modality, medicate, mete, modulate, mote, commode, 23 more

through Proto-Italic *medos ‘measure’

medical, medicine, medication, med, remedy, medicinal, medic, meditate, 11 more

through Latin modus ‘measure’

modern, mode, mud, mood, commodity, modification, modal, modus, modicum, modifiable, 17 more

through Latin modulus ‘a small measure or interval’

model, module, modulation, molding, modulus, modulo, 1 more

through Middle English molde ‘mould, cast’

mold, 2 more

Another origin of mould

  1. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*muglōnąreconstructed
  2. Old Norsec. 800–1350mygla
  3. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500mowlde
  4. Englishtodaymould

From Middle English mowlde, noun use and alteration of mowled, past participle of moulen, mawlen (‘to grow mouldy’), from Old Norse mygla (compare dialectal Danish mugle), from Proto-Germanic *muglōną, diminutive and denominative of *mukiz (‘soft substance’) (compare Old Norse myki, mykr (‘cow dung’)), from Proto-Indo-European *mewk- (‘slick, soft’).

Another origin of mould

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*melh₂-‘to grind, crush’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ml̥h₂-téh₂reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*muldōreconstructed
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150molde‘earth, soil’
  5. Englishtodaymould

Today it means

noun Commonwealth standard spelling of mold.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *med- / mould

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