moot

moot · adjective, noun¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*meh₂d-“to encounter, come”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*mōtą
3. Old English · inherited from*mōt
4. Middle English · inherited frommōt
5. English todaymoot

From Middle English mōt, ȝemōt, from Old English *mōt, ġemōt (“meeting”), from Proto-Germanic *mōtą, from Proto-Indo-European *meh₂d- (“to encounter, come”). Cognate with Scots mut, mote (“meeting, assembly”), Low German Mööt (“meeting”), Moot (“meeting”), archaic Dutch (ge)moet (“meeting”), Danish møde (“meeting”), Swedish möte (“meeting”), Norwegian møte (“meeting”), Icelandic mót (“meeting, tournament, meet”). Related to meet. The adjective derives from the noun.

moot · verb, noun²

1. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*mōtijaną“to meet, encounter”
2. Old English · inherited frommōtian“to speak, converse, discuss”
3. Middle English · inherited frommoten“to speak, talk, converse, discuss”
4. English todaymoot

From Middle English moten (“to speak, talk, converse, discuss”), from Old English mōtian (“to speak, converse, discuss”), from Proto-Germanic *mōtijaną (“to meet, encounter”), a suffixed derivative of *mōtą (“meeting”). Related to etymology 1. See also mutter (which is a frequentative of moot).

moot · noun³

Unknown.

moot · noun, verb⁴

1. Dutch · derived frommoot“piece”
2. English todaymoot

From Dutch moot (“piece”).

moot · noun⁵

Clipping of mutual with humorously altered pronunciation.

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• from the 12th c. An assembly (usually for decision-making in a locality).