moed (Dutch)
Where does "moed" come from?
The Dutch word 'moed' traces back to the Proto-Germanic term *mōdaz, originally meaning 'mind' or 'spirit.' This root descended through Old and Middle Dutch, ultimately shifting from a general description of one's disposition or mood to the specific sense of bravery and courage. It is distantly related to the Latin word 'mos,' which refers to custom or inclination, and shares ancestors with the English word 'mood.'
Full etymology tree
- moed (Dutch), 'courage, bravery, daring'
- inherited moet (Middle Dutch), 'first/third-person singular present indicative of moeten'
- inherited muot (Old Dutch)
- inherited *mōd (Proto-West Germanic), 'mind, sense'
- inherited *mōdaz (Proto-Germanic), 'mind, sense'
- inherited mō-tó-s (Proto-Indo-European)
- prefix *meh₁- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to measure'
- derived *med- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to measure'
- suffix -tó-s (Proto-Indo-European)
- prefix *meh₁- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to measure'
- inherited mō-tó-s (Proto-Indo-European)
- inherited *mōdaz (Proto-Germanic), 'mind, sense'
- inherited *mōd (Proto-West Germanic), 'mind, sense'
- inherited muot (Old Dutch)
- inherited moet (Middle Dutch), 'first/third-person singular present indicative of moeten'
Ancestors
- moet (Middle Dutch)
- *mōd (Proto-West Germanic)
- *mōdaz (Proto-Germanic)
Descendants and derived words
- bemoedigen (Dutch)
- dronkemansmoed (Dutch)
- gemoed (Dutch)
- heldenmoed (Dutch)
- hoogmoed (Dutch)
- in arren moede (Dutch)
- moedeloos (Dutch)
- moedig (Dutch)
- moedwil (Dutch)
- ontmoedigen (Dutch)
- overmoed (Dutch)
Updated May 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris