English
mutual
Mutual comes from Latin mūtuus ‘in return, in exchange, mutual, reciprocal’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *mey-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mey-root as named
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmūt(ō)
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEmūtuus‘in return, in exchange, mutual, reciprocal’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600mutuel
- Englishearliest quotation 1809mutual
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mey-root as named
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmūt(ō)
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEmūtuus‘in return, in exchange, mutual, reciprocal’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600mutuel
- Englishearliest quotation 1809mutual
Earliest quotation: 1809, Faculty of Advocates, Decisions of the Court of Sessions: “On his area the pursuer built a dwelling-house, of…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *mey-
mean, common, community, met, minister, commission, minute, ministry, minor, mess, communication, min, commit, menu, meal, compromise, missile, communist, mere, communicate, minus, immune, dismiss, premise, ammunition, immunity, mole, communism, ammo, mayhem, noodle, communion, municipality, intermittent, moor, communal, remuneration, commune, mite, omit, 79 more
Today it means
adj Having the same relationship, each to each other.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *mey- / mutual