miracle (English)
Where does "miracle" come from?
The English word 'miracle' traces back to the Proto-Indo-European root *(s)mey-, which originally meant 'to smile' or 'to be astonished.' This root evolved into the Latin word 'mīrāculum,' meaning an 'object of wonder,' which later passed through Old French before entering Middle English. Over centuries, the term shifted from simply describing something wonderful to denoting an extraordinary event that defies the laws of nature.
Full etymology tree
- miracle (English), 'An event that appears inexplicable by the laws of nature and so is held to be supernatural in origin.'
- inherited miracle (Middle English)
- borrowed miracle (Old French), 'miracle'
- inherited mīrāculum (Latin), 'wonder, marvel, miracle; a wonderful, strange or marvellous thing.'
- derived mīror (Latin), 'to be astonished at, marvel at, admire, be amazed at, wonder at'
- derived mīrus (Latin), 'wonderful, marvelous, amazing, surprising, miraculous'
- inherited *smeiros (Proto-Italic)
- inherited *sméyros (Proto-Indo-European)
- derived *(s)mey- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to laugh, to be glad'
- inherited *sméyros (Proto-Indo-European)
- inherited *smeiros (Proto-Italic)
- derived mīrus (Latin), 'wonderful, marvelous, amazing, surprising, miraculous'
- derived mīror (Latin), 'to be astonished at, marvel at, admire, be amazed at, wonder at'
- inherited mīrāculum (Latin), 'wonder, marvel, miracle; a wonderful, strange or marvellous thing.'
- borrowed miracle (Old French), 'miracle'
- inherited miracle (Middle English)
Direct ancestors
- (s)mey- (Proto-Indo-European)
- miracle (Old French)
- miraculum (Latin)
- milagro (English)
- miraculum (English)
- wundor (Old English)
Updated June 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris