humble

humble · adjective, noun¹

1. Latin · derived fromhumilis“low, slight, hence mean, humble”
2. Old French · derived fromhumble
3. Middle English · inherited fromhumble
4. English todayhumble

From Middle English humble, from Old French humble, umble, humle, from Latin humilis (“low, slight, hence mean, humble”) (compare Greek χαμηλός (khamēlós, “on the ground, low, trifling”)), from humus (“the earth, ground”), humi (“on the ground”). See homage, and compare chameleon, humiliate. Displaced native Old English ēaþmōd.

humble · verb²

1. Middle English · inherited fromhumblen“to humble”
2. English todayhumble

From Middle English humblen (“to humble”), from the adjective above.

humble · verb³

1. Middle English · derived fromhummen“to hum”
2. Middle English · inherited from*humblen
3. English todayhumble

From Middle English *humblen, *humbelen (suggested by humblynge (“a humming, a faint rumbling”)), frequentative of Middle English hummen (“to hum”), equivalent to hum + -le.

Words from the same roots