mirar (Portuguese)
Where does "mirar" come from?
The Portuguese verb 'mirar' originates from the Proto-Indo-European root for 'laughing' or 'smiling,' which evolved into the Latin word 'mīrārī,' meaning to marvel at or admire. Over time, the sense of wonder transitioned into the more focused actions of observing and sighting. Today, the word has shifted from its ancient roots of joyful astonishment to the practical modern meanings of looking closely or aiming a weapon.
Full etymology tree
- mirar (Portuguese), 'to see; to observe'
- inherited from mirar (Old Galician-Portuguese), 'to look'
- inherited from mīrārī (Latin), 'present active infinitive of mīror'
- derived from mīrus (Latin), 'wonderful, marvelous, amazing, surprising, miraculous'
- inherited from *smeiros (Proto-Italic)
- inherited from *sméyros (Proto-Indo-European)
- derived from *(s)mey- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to laugh, to be glad'
- inherited from *sméyros (Proto-Indo-European)
- inherited from *smeiros (Proto-Italic)
- derived from mīrus (Latin), 'wonderful, marvelous, amazing, surprising, miraculous'
- inherited from mīrārī (Latin), 'present active infinitive of mīror'
- inherited from mirar (Old Galician-Portuguese), 'to look'
Ancestors
- mirar (Old Galician-Portuguese)
- miror (Latin)
Descendants and derived words
- mira (Portuguese)
- mira (Portuguese)
- mirado (Portuguese)
- miradouro (Portuguese)
- mirante (Portuguese)
Updated April 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris