melange

The story

1. Frankish · derived from*-ingo“-ing”
2. Latin · derived frommisceō“mix”
3. Vulgar Latin · derived from*misculāre
4. Old French · derived frommeslance
5. Middle French · derived frommélange
6. French · derived frommélange
7. English todaymelange

From French mélange, from Middle French mélange, meslange, from Old French meslance, meslinges (“set of diverse elements”), derived from mescler (“to mingle, mix up”) (modern French mêler), from Vulgar Latin *misculāre, from Latin misceō (“mix”) + -inges, a suffix from Frankish *-ingo (“-ing”). More at mix, -ing.

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• from 17th c. A mixture of different things; a disordered mixture.
• from 19th c. Coffee mixed with hot milk or whipped cream.