Etymology and origin of the Proto-West Germanic word *midi
*midi1 with, by
- Confidence
- Established
- Formation
- Inherited
- Inherited from
- Proto-Germanic *midi
- Ultimate origin
- Proto-Indo-European *meth₂
Etymology tree of *midi1
From the same root · *midi1
Reconstruction
Wiktionary reconstructs the preposition *midi.[1]
Etymology
It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *midi (“with”),[1][2] which Kroonen writes *medi, Orel *meþa and Köbler *med, *medi, *meþ, *mid, *midi.[2][3][4] EWA notes that the West Germanic forms with -i- in the root require a Proto-Germanic final *-e or *-i, while Old Norse needs *-a and Gothic allows no conclusion.[5] Boutkan and Siebinga likewise see two formations in the different vowels of the root, one with and one without a cause of i-umlaut.[6]
Morphology
A preposition, also used as an adverb.[5][7] In Old Saxon it takes the dative or instrumental.[8] In Old High German the monosyllable mit is mostly a preposition and the disyllable miti nearly always an adverb.[5] The disyllable keeps the final vowel by regular sound change, while the monosyllable is either remade after adverbs with a long root or shows the loss of final *-i after a short syllable in weak stress.[5] The West Frisian mei is a contraction of the adverb mithi used as a preposition, as Old High German miti and Old Saxon midi are sometimes used.[6]
Evidence
The word is attested in Old English mid, Old Frisian mith, Old Saxon mid and Old High German mit,[5] and Old Dutch mit in psalms of the 9th century.[9] Old High German has it from the last quarter of the 8th century.[5] EWA adds the Lombard personal name ⟨Mitigertus⟩, with the first element ⟨miti-⟩.[5]
Meanings
As an adverb Old English used it for "at the same time, together, likewise".[10]
Derivatives
- *midiwisti "togetherness, community", which Wiktionary reconstructs from *midi- and *wisti:[11] Old English midwist "presence, participation"[12] and Old High German mitiwist "being together".[13]
Reflexes
*midi2 middle, mid
- Confidence
- Established
- Formation
- Inherited
- Inherited from
- Proto-Germanic *midjaz
Reconstruction
Ringe and Taylor reconstruct the adjective as Proto-West Germanic *midi, with the stem *[middja-] for an underlying */midja-/,[16] and Wiktionary has *midi.[1]
Etymology
It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *midjaz (“middle”),[16][2] which Kroonen cites as *medja- and Orel as *međjaz.[2][17] Ringe and Taylor refer the nominative *midi to the change that made *sagjaz "retainer" into *sagi, which preceded the West Germanic gemination; in the other forms of the paradigm the cluster with *j survived to undergo gemination, and the attested forms reflect levelling from them.[18][16]
Morphology
A ja-stem adjective.[19][20] Ringe and Taylor derive Old English midne from the masculine accusative singular *middjanā.[21] Old High German also used it as a neuter ja-stem noun mitti (“middle”), as Old English did midd.[22]
Evidence
The adjective is attested in all the West Germanic languages: Old English midd, Old Frisian midde, Old Saxon middi and Old High German mitti,[16] and Old Dutch middi in psalms of the 9th century.[23] Old High German has it from the 8th century.[22]
Meanings
Old Saxon also used the adjective for "innermost" and as a noun for "midst".[20] Old Frisian midde sumer and Old Saxon te then midden sumera name midsummer, the 24th of June.[24][20]
Derivatives
- *midigarnī "intestinal fat", which Wiktionary reconstructs;[25] Kroonen derives Old English micgern, Old Saxon midgarni and Old High German mittigarni "paunch fat" from Proto-Germanic *midja-garnja-.[26]
Reflexes
References
- ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *midi
- ^ a b c d Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 360
- ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 268
- ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *med
- ^ a b c d e f g h Lloyd, Albert L.; Springer, Otto; Lühr, Rosemarie, et al. (1988–), Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Althochdeutschen, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht; online ewa.saw-leipzig.de, p. s.v. mit
- ^ a b Boutkan, Dirk; Siebinga, Sjoerd Michiel (2005), Old Frisian Etymological Dictionary, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 1, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. mith
- ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. mid
- ^ a b Tiefenbach, Heinrich (2010), Altsächsisches Handwörterbuch / A Concise Old Saxon Dictionary, Berlin / New York: De Gruyter, p. s.v. mid
- ^ Köbler, Gerhard, Altniederfränkisches Wörterbuch, online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. mit
- ^ a b Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. mid
- ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *midiwisti
- ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. midwist
- ^ Lloyd, Albert L.; Springer, Otto; Lühr, Rosemarie, et al. (1988–), Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Althochdeutschen, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht; online ewa.saw-leipzig.de, p. s.v. mitiwist
- ^ Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. mith
- ^ Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org, p. s.v. mit
- ^ a b c d e Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 51
- ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 264
- ^ Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 47
- ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. midd
- ^ a b c Tiefenbach, Heinrich (2010), Altsächsisches Handwörterbuch / A Concise Old Saxon Dictionary, Berlin / New York: De Gruyter, p. s.v. middi
- ^ Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 264
- ^ a b c Lloyd, Albert L.; Springer, Otto; Lühr, Rosemarie, et al. (1988–), Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Althochdeutschen, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht; online ewa.saw-leipzig.de, p. s.v. mitti
- ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard, Altniederfränkisches Wörterbuch, online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. middi
- ^ a b Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. midde
- ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *midigarnī
- ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 169
- ^ Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. midd
- ^ Berr, Samuel (1971), An Etymological Glossary to the Old Saxon Heliand, Berne / Frankfurt: Herbert Lang, p. 286
Related etymologies
Cite this entry
“*midi.” Etymologically, 16 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/gmw-pro/*midi. Accessed 16 Nov. 2026.
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