middle (English)
Where does "middle" come from?
The word "middle" traces back to the Proto-Indo-European root *médʰyos, which essentially meant "in the middle" or "between." This root evolved into the Proto-Germanic *midlą, eventually making its way into Old English as "middel" and through Middle English to become the modern term we use today. It retains a deep connection to various Germanic languages, where related forms often branch out into meanings involving averages, means, or even medicines.
Full etymology tree
- middle (English), 'Located in the middle; in between.'
- inherited middel (Middle English), 'The middle or centre of something.'
- inherited middel (Old English), 'middle, in the middle'
- inherited *midlą (Proto-Germanic), 'middle'
- derived *midjaz (Proto-Germanic), 'middle, mid'
- inherited *médʰyos (Proto-Indo-European), 'middle'
- derived *midjaz (Proto-Germanic), 'middle, mid'
- inherited *midlą (Proto-Germanic), 'middle'
- inherited middel (Old English), 'middle, in the middle'
- inherited middel (Middle English), 'The middle or centre of something.'
Direct ancestors
- middel (Middle English)
- middel (Old English)
- midlą (Proto-Germanic)
- médʰyos (Proto-Indo-European)
- Middel (Saterland Frisian)
- mul (West Frisian)
- middel (Dutch)
- mittel (German)
Updated July 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris