mirror

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · inherited from*smey-“to laugh, to be glad”
2. Latin · derived frommīror“wonder at”
3. Old French · derived frommireor“mirror”
4. Middle English · inherited frommirour
5. English todaymirror

From Middle English mirour, from Old French mireor (“mirror”, literally “looker, watcher”), from mirer (“look at”), from Latin mīror (“wonder at”), from mīrus (“wonderful”), from Proto-Indo-European *smey- (“to laugh, to be glad”). Displaced native Middle English schewere, schawere, from Old English sċēawere (“mirror”, literally “watcher”), which was also the word for "spy".

Words from the same roots