mangle

mangle · verb¹

1. Old English · derived from*mancian
2. Middle English · derived from*mankelen
3. Old French · derived frommangonner“to cut to pieces”
4. Middle English · derived frommangelen
5. English todaymangle

From Middle English mangelen, manglen, from Anglo-Norman mangler, mahangler, frequentative of either Old French mangonner (“to cut to pieces”) or mahaigner (“to mutilate”), of Germanic origin, for which see mayhem. Alternate etymology derives mangle from Middle English *mankelen, a frequentative form of manken (“to mutilate”), from Old English *mancian, bemancian (“to maim”). More at mank.

mangle · noun, verb²

1. Ancient Greek · derived fromμάγγανον
2. Medieval Latin · derived frommanga
3. Middle High German · derived frommange
4. German · derived fromMangel
5. Dutch · borrowed frommangel
6. English todaymangle

Ca. 1700, from Dutch mangel, from Early Modern German Mangel (15th c.), enhanced form (by analogy with other tool names in -el) of Middle High German mange, from Medieval Latin manga, manganum, from Ancient Greek μάγγανον (mánganon). Doublet of mangonel.

mangle · noun³

1. Spanish · borrowed frommangle
2. English todaymangle

Borrowed from Spanish mangle, mangue, probably from an Arawak language (such as Taíno), or a Cariban language.

Words from the same roots