minchen

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*men-
2. Ancient Greek · derived fromμοναχός“hermit”
3. Late Latin · derived frommonachus“monk”
4. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*munikinnō“female monk”
5. Old English · inherited frommyneċen“a female monk, nun”
6. Middle English · inherited fromminchen
7. English todayminchen

From Middle English minchen, monchen, from Old English myneċen (“a female monk, nun”), from Proto-Germanic *munikinnō (“female monk”), from *munikaz (“monk”), from Late Latin monachus (“monk”), from Ancient Greek μοναχός (monakhós, “hermit”, noun), from μοναχός (monakhós, “single, solitary”, adjective), from μόνος (mónos, “alone”), from Proto-Indo-European *men-, *menw-, *manw- (“small, little, isolated”). Cognate with German Mönchin (“female monk”). Related also to minnow. More at monk.

Words from the same roots