Met (German)
Where does "Met" come from?
The German word 'Met' traces its origins back to the Proto-Indo-European *médʰu, a term shared by ancient cultures to describe both honey and the sweet, fermented drink derived from it. As it evolved through Proto-Germanic and Old High German, it retained its distinct identity as the drink we now know as mead. The word remains a linguistic cousin to various terms across European languages, including the English word 'mead'.
Full etymology tree
- Met (German), 'mead'
- inherited mëte (Middle High German)
- inherited mëtu (Old High German), 'mead'
- inherited *medu (Proto-West Germanic), 'mead'
- inherited *meduz (Proto-Germanic), 'intoxicating drink'
- inherited *médʰu (Proto-Indo-European), 'honey'
- inherited *meduz (Proto-Germanic), 'intoxicating drink'
- inherited *medu (Proto-West Germanic), 'mead'
- inherited mëtu (Old High German), 'mead'
- inherited mëte (Middle High German)
Ancestors
- metu (Old High German)
- *medu (Proto-West Germanic)
- *meduz (Proto-Germanic)
- *médʰu (Proto-Indo-European)
Cognates and doublets
- mjød (Danish)
- mede (Dutch)
- mead (English)
Updated June 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris