Meanings
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*men-
- Ancient Greekμοναχός“hermit”
- Late Latinmonachus“monk”
- Proto-Germanic*munikinnō“female monk”
- Old Englishmyneċen“a female monk, nun”
- Middle Englishminchen
- Englishminchen
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.
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-Germanic
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
minchen. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/minchen
“minchen.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/minchen. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “minchen,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/minchen.
Source: minchen on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.