English
mountain
Mountain comes from Anglo-Norman muntaine, from Early Medieval Latin montānia, based on Latin mōns ‘mountain’, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *men- ‘to stand out’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*men-‘to stand out, tower’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*móntisreconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*montsreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmōns‘mountain, mount’
- Early Medieval Latinmodernmontānia
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400muntaine
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500mountayne‘a mountain’
- Englishearliest quotation 1611mountain
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*men-‘to stand out, tower’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*móntisreconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*montsreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmōns‘mountain, mount’
- Early Medieval Latinmodernmontānia
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400muntaine
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500mountayne‘a mountain’
- Englishearliest quotation 1611mountain
Earliest quotation: 1611, The Holy Bible, London: […] Robert Barker: “My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *men- ‘to think, mind’
music, money, mind, museum, comment, mention, auto, mental, remain, permanent, mouth, amount, monster, monitor, min, demonstration, maya, monetary, mentor, monk, amnesty, muse, dementia, monument, menace, mas, monastery, mania, mint, muster, prominence, summon, mandarin, amnesia, imminent, manic, mantra, ming, monte, eminent, 127 more
Today it means
noun An elevation of land of considerable dimensions rising more or less abruptly, forming a conspicuous figure in the landscape, usually having a small extent of surface at its summit.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *men- / mountain