English
mowing
Mowing comes from Middle English mowen ‘to mow’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *h₂meh₁-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂meh₁-‘to mow’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*mēaną‘to mow, cut down’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*māan‘to mow’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150māwan‘to mow’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500mowen‘to mow’
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500mowynge
- Englishearliest quotation 1876mowing
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂meh₁-‘to mow’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*mēaną‘to mow, cut down’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*māan‘to mow’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150māwan‘to mow’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500mowen‘to mow’
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500mowynge
- Englishearliest quotation 1876mowing
Earliest quotation: 1876, Journal of Horticulture: “You may advantageously use the mowings of the lawn…”
Formed from mow + -ing
Proto-Indo-European *h₂meh₁- ‘to mow, reap’
Proto-Germanic *mēaną ‘to mow, cut down’
Proto-West Germanic *māan ‘to mow’
Old English māwan ‘to mow’
Middle English mowen ‘to mow’
English mow
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂meh₁- ‘to mow’
through Middle English mowen ‘to mow’
Today it means
verb The activity by which something is mown.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂meh₁- / mowing