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*med-

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Etymology and origin of the Proto-Indo-European word *med-

*med-1 to measure

Confidence
Established

Reconstruction

LIV sets up 1.*med- 'to measure, ensure compliance, take care'.[1] Kroonen reconstructs the Germanic verb from a lengthened-grade *mēd-e-.[2]

Morphology

LIV lists an acrodynamic root present *mḗd-/méd- in Ancient Greek μήδομαι (mḗdomai), Ancient Greek μέδω (médō), Old Irish midithir and Gothic 𐌼𐌹𐍄𐌰𐌽 (mitan), a sigmatic aorist *mḗd/méd-s-, with a query an iterative *mod-éi̯e- and an essive *med-h₁i̯é- in Latin medeor, and perfects of Celtic and Gothic as innovations.[1] Beekes notes that the lengthened grade of Ancient Greek μήδομαι (mḗdomai) is old, and considers influence from *meh₁- 'to measure'.[3]

Evidence

Greek, Italic, Celtic, Germanic, Armenian and Iranian attest the root.[1][2] Beekes and Martirosyan compare the Greek verbal noun Ancient Greek μήδεα (mḗdea, “plans”) with Armenian միտ (mit).[3][4]

Competing analyses

LIV puts Gothic 𐌼𐌰𐍄𐍃 (mats, “food”) and Gothic 𐌼𐌰𐍄𐌾𐌰𐌽 (matjan, “to eat”) here, from *mod-i- 'portion, what is measured out'.[1] NIL lists Gothic 𐌼𐌰𐍄𐍃 (mats) under 2.*med- 'to become full' with a query, and Kroonen derives it from *med- 'to satiate'.[5][6] Martirosyan leaves open whether Armenian Old Armenian միտ (mit) reflects *mēd- or *meh₁d-.[4] Kroonen thinks that at a deeper level *med- gave rise to the synonymous *meh₁-.[2]

Meanings

  1. to measure, to ensure compliance, to take care[1]

Kroonen notes that both 'to measure' and 'to estimate' occur across the branches, and takes the second as a reflexive use, 'to measure for oneself'.[2] De Vaan sees in Latin medeor 'to heal' a shift from 'measure' to 'distribute a cure', and Beekes calls it an old specialised meaning.[7][8]

Derivatives

  • *med-o-, *med-os- 'measure': Latin modus.[9]
  • *med-tu-: Old Irish mess (“judgement”).[10]
  • Ancient Greek μέδων (médōn, “ruler”).[8]

Reflexes

  • Greek: Ancient Greek μέδω (médō, “to rule”), Ancient Greek μήδομαι (mḗdomai, “to consider”).[8][3]
  • Italic: Latin medeor (“to heal”), Latin modus (“measure”).[7][9]
  • Celtic: Old Irish midithir (“measures, judges”).[10]
  • Germanic: Gothic 𐌼𐌹𐍄𐌰𐌽 (mitan, “to measure”).[2]
  • Armenian: Old Armenian միտ (mit, “mind”).[4]

*med-2 to become full

Confidence
Disputed

Reconstruction

LIV sets up 2.*med- 'to become full, become sated', after Harðarson.[11] NIL has the root with the same gloss.[5]

Morphology

LIV lists, with a query, a nasal-infix present *m-né/n̥-d- in Sanskrit मन्दति (mándati), a full-grade present *méd-e- in Sanskrit मदति (mádati), a perfect *me-mód/md-, a causative *mod-éi̯e-, with a query an s-desiderative, and an essive *med-h₁i̯é- in Latin madeō.[11] From the nasal present, a secondary Vedic root was abstracted.[11] Kümmel adds that the root form *mand- 'to gladden' is also found in Iranian names.[12]

Evidence

LIV cites Indo-Iranian, Latin and Old Norse, and puts Greek μεστός (mestós, “full”) here.[11] NIL's stems include *med-tó- in Ancient Greek μεστός (mestós), *mód-o- and *med-tu- in Old Irish mess.[5] Cheung takes the Iranian verb for 'to become intoxicated' from this root.[13]

Competing analyses

De Vaan derives Latin madeō from *mh₂d-eh₁- 'to be wet', together with Greek μαδάω (madáō, “to be moist”), and takes the Indo-Iranian verb from *meh₂d-.[14] Kroonen keeps a root *med- 'to satiate' because of Ancient Greek μεστός (mestós), but calls the link of Sanskrit मन्दति (mándati), Ancient Greek μαδάω (madáō) and Latin madeō with it erroneous.[6] Beekes finds the etymology of Ancient Greek μεστός (mestós) unclear, and notes Meier-Brügger's link with *med- 'to measure' beside LIV's 2.*med-.[15]

Meanings

  1. to become full, to become sated[11][5]

In Indo-Aryan the verb means 'to rejoice, get drunk'.[16]

Derivatives

  • *med-tó-: Ancient Greek μεστός (mestós, “full”).[5]
  • *med-tu-: Old Irish mess.[5]
  • *mod-i-: Gothic 𐌼𐌰𐍄𐍃 (mats, “food”).[5][6]

Reflexes

  • Indo-Aryan: Sanskrit मदति (mádati, “rejoices, gets drunk”).[16]
  • Germanic: Gothic 𐌼𐌰𐍄𐍃 (mats, “food”).[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Rix, Helmut, et al. (2001), Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben, 2nd ed., Wiesbaden: Reichert, p. s.v. 1.*med-
  2. ^ a b c d e Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 367
  3. ^ a b c Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), Etymological Dictionary of Greek, with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 10, Leiden; Boston: Brill, p. s.v. μήδομαι
  4. ^ a b c Martirosyan, Hrach K. (2010), Etymological Dictionary of the Armenian Inherited Lexicon, Leiden: Brill, p. 484
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Wodtko, Dagmar S.; Irslinger, Britta; Schneider, Carolin (2008), Nomina im indogermanischen Lexikon, Heidelberg: Winter, p. s.v. med-
  6. ^ a b c d Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 358
  7. ^ a b de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill, p. s.v. medeor
  8. ^ a b c Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), Etymological Dictionary of Greek, with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 10, Leiden; Boston: Brill, p. s.v. μέδω
  9. ^ a b de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill, p. s.v. modus
  10. ^ a b Matasović, Ranko (2009), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic, Leiden: Brill, p. 270
  11. ^ a b c d e Rix, Helmut, et al. (2001), Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben, 2nd ed., Wiesbaden: Reichert, p. s.v. 2.*med-
  12. ^ Kümmel, Martin Joachim, Addenda und Corrigenda zu LIV², online document, last change 16 June 2026, p. 62
  13. ^ Cheung, Johnny (2007), Etymological Dictionary of the Iranian Verb, Leiden: Brill, p. 278
  14. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill, p. s.v. madeō
  15. ^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), Etymological Dictionary of Greek, with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 10, Leiden; Boston: Brill, p. s.v. μεστός
  16. ^ a b Mayrhofer, Manfred (1956–1980), Kurzgefasstes etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindischen, Heidelberg: Winter, p. 568

Descendants

Cite this entry

“*med-.” Etymologically, 7 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/ine-pro/*med-. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

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