mean

mean · verb¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*mey-
2. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*meyno-
3. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*meyn-“to think”
4. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*mainijaną“to mean, think; complain”
5. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*mainijan
6. Old English · inherited frommǣnan“to mean, complain”
7. Middle English · inherited frommenen“to intend; remember; lament; comfort”
8. English todaymean

From Middle English menen (“to intend; remember; lament; comfort”), from Old English mǣnan (“to mean, complain”), Proto-West Germanic *mainijan, from Proto-Germanic *mainijaną (“to mean, think; complain”), from Proto-Indo-European *meyn- (“to think”), or perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *meyno-, extended form of Proto-Indo-European *mey-. Germanic cognates include West Frisian miene (“to deem, think”) (Old Frisian mēna (“to signify”)), Dutch menen (“to believe, think, mean”) (Middle Dutch menen (“to think, intend”)), German meinen (“to think, mean, believe”), Old Saxon mēnian. Indo-European cognates include Old Irish mían (“wish, desire”) and Polish mienić (“to signify, believe”). Non-Indo-European cognates include Finnish mainita (“to mention”), Finnish meinata (“to mean, to plan, to intend”) Estonian mainima (“to mention”), Northern Sami máinnastit (“to tell”). Related to moan.

mean · adjective²

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*mey-“to change, exchange, share”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*gamainiz“common”
3. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*gamainī
4. Old English · inherited frommǣne
5. Middle English · inherited frommene
6. English todaymean

From Middle English mene, imene, from Old English mǣne, ġemǣne (“common, public, general, universal”), from Proto-West Germanic *gamainī, from Proto-Germanic *gamainiz (“common”), from Proto-Indo-European *mey- (“to change, exchange, share”). Doublet of common. Cognate with West Frisian mien (“general, universal”), Dutch gemeen (“common, mean”), German gemein (“common, mean, nasty”), Danish gemen, Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌼𐌰𐌹𐌽𐍃 (gamains, “common, unclean”), Latin commūnis (“shared, common, general”) (Old Latin comoinem). For a similar change in definition, see vulgar.

mean · adjective, noun³

1. Latin · derived frommedius“middle”
2. Old French · derived frommeien
3. Middle English · inherited frommeene
4. English todaymean

From Middle English meene, borrowed from Old French meien (French moyen), Late Latin mediānus (“that is in the middle, middle”), from Latin medius (“middle”). Cognate with mid. For the musical sense, compare the cognate Italian mezzano. Doublet of median and mizzen.

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• from 8th c. To intend, to plan (to do); to have as one's intention.
• from 14th c. To have as intentions of a given kind.
• from 16th c. To intend (something) for a given purpose or fate; to predestine.
• from 8th c. To convey (a given sense); to signify, or indicate (an object or idea).
• from 8th c. Of a word, symbol etc: to have reference to, to signify.
• from 18th c. To have conviction in (something said or expressed); to be sincere in (what one says).
• from 19th c. To cause or produce (a given result); to bring about (a given result).
• from 14th c. A method or course of action used to achieve some result.