mote

mote · noun¹

1. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*mot“grain of dirt or sand, speck”
2. Old English · inherited frommot“grain of sand; mote; atom”
3. Middle English · inherited frommot
4. English todaymote

From Middle English mot, from Old English mot (“grain of sand; mote; atom”), from Proto-West Germanic *mot (“grain of dirt or sand, speck”). Perhaps linked to English mud. Compare West Frisian mot (“peat dust”), Dutch mot (“dust from turf; sawdust; grit”), Low German mut (“peat dust, grit”), Norwegian mutt (“speck; mote; splinter; chip”), Italian mota (“mud”), Spanish mota (“speck”).

mote · verb²

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*med-“to acquire, possess, be in charge of”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*mōtaną“to be able to, have to, be delegated”
3. Old English · inherited frommōtan“to be allowed, be able to, have the opportunity to, be compelled to, may, must”
4. Middle English · inherited frommoten
5. English todaymote

From Middle English moten, from Old English mōtan (“to be allowed, be able to, have the opportunity to, be compelled to, may, must”), from Proto-Germanic *mōtaną (“to be able to, have to, be delegated”), from Proto-Indo-European *med- (“to acquire, possess, be in charge of”). Cognate with Dutch moeten (“to have to, must”), German müssen (“to have to, must”), Ancient Greek μέδω (médō, “to prevail, dominate, rule over”). Related to empty.

mote · noun³

See moot (“a meeting”).

mote · noun⁴

Clipping of remote, with allusion to the other sense of mote (“a speck of dust”).

Mote · proper noun⁵

From the French and English surname, spelling variant of Motte, from the noun motte (“stronghold”); also a variant of Mott.

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• from 9th c. May or might.
• 9th–17th c. Must.
• from 9th c. Forming subjunctive expressions of wish: may.