milieu

The story

1. Latin · derived fromlocus“place; spot (specific location)”
2. Latin · derived frommedius“half; middle”
3. Old French · derived frommilliu
4. Middle French · derived frommilieu
5. French · borrowed frommilieu“physical or social environment; group of people with a common point of view”
6. English todaymilieu

PIE word *me Borrowed from French milieu (“physical or social environment; group of people with a common point of view”), from Middle French milieu, meilleu, mileu, from Old French milliu, meillieu, mileu (“middle”), from mi- (prefix meaning ‘half’) (from Latin medius (“half; middle”)) + lieu, leu (“place”) (from Latin locus (“place; spot (specific location)”)).

Words from the same roots