mime

The story

1. French · borrowed frommime“mimic actor”
2. Ancient Greek · derived fromμῖμος“imitator, actor”
3. Latin · derived frommimus
4. Old English · inherited frommīma“a buffoon, jester, mime”
5. Middle English · inherited frommime
6. English todaymime

Possibly from Middle English mime, from Old English mīma (“a buffoon, jester, mime”), from Latin mimus, from Ancient Greek μῖμος (mîmos, “imitator, actor”), but more likely re-borrowed in modern times from French mime (“mimic actor”), from the same source.

Words from the same roots