*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of mewl

From 1599 or earlier (1530 in a Scottish document), apparently from Shakespeare with this spelling. Perhaps from Middle English mewen (“to whimper”) + -le (frequentative suffix).

1 source sectionExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 1 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.

Unnumbered source etymology

Original entry ↗
noun

A soft cry or whimper; an act of mewling.

verb

To cry weakly with a soft, high-pitched sound; to whimper; to whine.

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

From 1599 or earlier (1530 in a Scottish document), apparently from Shakespeare with this spelling. Perhaps from Middle English mewen (“to whimper”) + -le (frequentative suffix).

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

  • Derivation mentionmewenenm · to whimper
Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "mewen",
        "id": "mew",
        "t": "to whimper"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English mewen (“to whimper”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "suffix",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "",
        "3": "-le",
        "pos2": "frequentative suffix"
      },
      "expansion": "+ -le (frequentative suffix)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "mewen",
      "mewen#Middle_English:_mew"
    ],
    [
      "-le",
      "-le#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A soft cry or whimper; an act of mewling."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "c339ded86600d389b6748f3d56f6612a5d802f686653d03344e4bd91711cccfe",
      "rawRecordSha256": "5412a422f4379c92c77b5060f907d9d1197f5d7dd0d267158c7e3186ddef34c1",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 821884
    },
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To cry weakly with a soft, high-pitched sound; to whimper; to whine."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "d6ad8f44e1bb3952f5b83d3d5a0a94a40b4a92a170406d3edc5dc40030178607",
      "rawRecordSha256": "bda4326857180265bc8a791ff2f87ba02a54da6e2f7aba2963b41b0c6fe919fa",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 821883
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

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 mewl →

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-bWV3bA