English word origin

Etymology of mew

4 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 4 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

noun

A gull, seagull.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English mewe, mowe, meau, from Old English mǣw (“seagull”), from Proto-West Germanic *maiwī, from Proto-Germanic *mai(h)waz (“seagull”). See also West Frisian meau, miuw, Dutch meeuw, German Möwe (whence Polish mewa); akin to Latvian maût (“to roar”), Old Church Slavonic мꙑꙗти (myjati, “to mew”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inherited-form mentionmeweenm
Inherited-form mentionmǣwang · seagull
Inherited-form mention*maiwīgmw-pro
Inherited-form mention*maiwazgem-pro · seagull
Cognate mentionmeau, miuwfy
Cognate mentionmeeuwnl
Cognate mentionMöwede
Cognate mentionmewapl

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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      "meau#West_Frisian"
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      "miuw",
      "miuw#West_Frisian"
    ],
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      "meeuw#Dutch"
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

noun

A prison, or other place of confinement. · A hiding place; a secret store or den. · A breeding-cage for birds. · A cage for hawks, especially while moulting.

verb

To shut away, confine, lock up. · To moult. · To cause to moult. · To shed antlers.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English mewe, mue, mwe, from Anglo-Norman mue, muwe, and Middle French mue (“shedding feathers; cage for moulting birds; prison”), from muer (“to moult”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inherited-form mentionmeweenm
Derivation mentionmuefrm

This page abbreviates 1 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗

intj

A cat's (especially a kitten's) cry. · A gull's or buzzard's cry. · An exclamation of disapproval; boo.

noun

The crying sound of a cat; a meow, especially of a kitten. · The crying sound of a gull or buzzard. · An exclamation of disapproval; a boo.

verb

To meow. · To make its cry.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English mewen; onomatopoeic.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inherited-form mentionmewenenm

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Source etymology 4

Original entry ↗

verb

To flatten one's tongue against the roof of the mouth, with the aim of improving jaw and facial structure.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Named after British orthodontists John Mew and his son Michael Mew.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Where this record stops

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An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for mew →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-bWV3