mete

mete · verb¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*med-“to measure, consider”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*metaną“to measure”
3. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*metan
4. Old English · inherited frommetan“to measure, mete out, mark off, compare, estimate; pass over, traverse”
5. Middle English · inherited frommeten
6. English todaymete

From Middle English meten, from Old English metan (“to measure, mete out, mark off, compare, estimate; pass over, traverse”), from Proto-West Germanic *metan, from Proto-Germanic *metaną (“to measure”), from Proto-Indo-European *med- (“to measure, consider”). Cognate with Scots mete (“to measure”), Saterland Frisian meete (“to measure”), West Frisian mjitte (“to measure”), Dutch meten (“to measure”), German messen (“to measure”), Swedish mäta (“to measure”), Latin modus (“limit, measure, target”), Ancient Greek μεδίμνος (medímnos, “measure, bushel”), Ancient Greek μέδεσθαι (médesthai, “care for”), Old Armenian միտ (mit, “mind”).

mete · noun²

1. Latin · derived frommēta“post, goal, marker”
2. Old French · derived frommete“boundary, boundary marker”
3. Middle English · inherited frommete
4. English todaymete

From Middle English mete, from Old French mete (“boundary, boundary marker”), from Latin mēta (“post, goal, marker”). Cognate with the second element in Old English wullmod (“distaff”).

mete · adjective³

1. Old English · inherited frommǣte
2. Middle English · inherited frommete
3. English todaymete

From Middle English mete, imete, from Old English mǣte, ġemǣte (“moderate, suitable”). More at meet.

Words from the same roots