mirari (Latin)
Where does "mirari" come from?
This Latin verb traces back to the Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'to smile' or 'to laugh,' eventually evolving to describe the feeling of being stunned or amazed. While it initially expressed the act of wondering at or marveling, it laid the linguistic foundation for modern English words like 'mirror' and 'admire.' Over time, the sense shifted from a simple physical reaction to a deeper expression of astonishment and high regard.
Full etymology tree
- mīrārī (Latin), 'present active infinitive of mīror'
- derived from mīrus (Latin), 'wonderful, marvelous, amazing, surprising, miraculous'
- inherited from *mīros (Proto-Italic)
- inherited from *mery- (Proto-Indo-European)
- derived from *smehy- (Proto-Indo-European)
- inherited from *mery- (Proto-Indo-European)
- inherited from *mīros (Proto-Italic)
- derived from mīrus (Latin), 'wonderful, marvelous, amazing, surprising, miraculous'
Updated April 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris