Etymology

misbehavior

M3I1S1B3E1H4A1V4I1O1R1

Today it means: Action or conduct that is inappropriate, improper, incorrect, or unexpected. Full definition →

English behavior ← Middle English behavoure ← Old French avoir
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*mey-?
  2. Proto-Indo-European*meyth₂-
  3. Proto-Germanic*missaz
  4. Proto-Germanic*missa-
  5. Proto-West Germanic*missa-
  6. Old Englishmis-
  7. Middle Englishmys-
  8. Englishmis-
  9. Proto-Indo-European*h₁ep-
  10. Proto-Indo-European*h₁éps
  11. Proto-Indo-European*h₁épi
  12. Proto-Indo-European*h₁pi
  13. Proto-Germanic*bi
  14. Proto-Germanic*bi-
  15. Proto-West Germanic*bi-
  16. Proto-Indo-European*kap-
  17. Proto-Germanic*habjaną
  18. Proto-West Germanic*habbjan
  19. Proto-West Germanic*bihabbjan
  20. Old Englishbehabban
  21. Middle Englishbehaven
  22. Proto-Indo-European*gʰeh₁bʰ-
  23. Proto-Indo-European*gʰh₁bʰéh₁yeti
  24. Proto-Italic*haβēō
  25. Latinhabeō
  26. Old Frenchavoir
  27. Middle Englishhavour
  28. Middle Englishbehavoure
  29. Englishbehavior
  30. English todaymisbehavior

From mis- + behavior.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.