mot (French)
Where does "mot" come from?
The French word 'mot' originates from the Late Latin 'muttum,' a term derived from the onomatopoeic verb 'muttīre,' which mimicked the quiet sound of a grunt or mutter. Over time, this 'mu-noise' evolved through Old and Middle French to become the modern word for 'word.' It eventually gained such linguistic prominence that it largely replaced the older term 'parole,' likely favored by speakers for its refreshing brevity.
Full etymology tree
- mot (French), 'word'
- inherited mot (Middle French), 'word'
- inherited mot (Old French), 'word'
- inherited muttum (Latin), 'A mutter, a grunt'
- derived muttīre (Latin), 'present active infinitive of muttiō'
- inherited *mū- (Proto-Indo-European)
- derived muttīre (Latin), 'present active infinitive of muttiō'
- inherited muttum (Latin), 'A mutter, a grunt'
- inherited mot (Old French), 'word'
- inherited mot (Middle French), 'word'
Ancestors
- mot (Middle French)
- mot (Old French)
- muttum (Latin)
Cognates and doublets
- mot (Catalan)
Descendants and derived words
- à mots couverts (French)
- arracher les mots de la bouche (French)
- au bas mot (French)
- avoir le dernier mot (French)
- avoir son mot à dire (French)
- bon mot (French)
- chercher ses mots (French)
- demi-mot (French)
- donner le mot (French)
- en un mot (French)
- fin mot (French)
- gros mot (French)
Updated June 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris