*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of ming

From Middle English mingen, mengen, from Old English mengan (“to mix, combine, unite, associate with, consort, cohabit with, disturb, converse”), from Proto-West Germanic *mangijan (“to mix, knead”), from Proto-Indo-Euro

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 mixture. · The state of being under mixed ownership; land under mixed ownership, particularly without physical demarcations designating ownership.

verb

To mix, blend, mingle. · To bring (people, animals etc.) together; to be joined, in marriage or sexual intercourse. · To produce through mixing; especially, to knead.

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

From Middle English mingen, mengen, from Old English mengan (“to mix, combine, unite, associate with, consort, cohabit with, disturb, converse”), from Proto-West Germanic *mangijan (“to mix, knead”), from Proto-Indo-European *menk- (“to rumple, knead”). Cognate with Dutch mengen (“to mix, blend, mingle”), German mengen (“to mix”), Danish mænge (“to rub”), Old English ġemang (“mixture, union, troop, crowd, multitude, congregation, assembly, business, cohabitation”). More at among.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "mingen"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English mingen"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "mengan",
        "4": "",
        "5": "to mix, combine, unite, associate with, consort, cohabit with, disturb, converse"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English mengan (“to mix, combine, unite, associate with, consort, cohabit with, disturb, converse”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*mangijan",
        "4": "",
        "5": "to mix, knead"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *mangijan (“to mix, knead”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*menk-",
        "4": "",
        "5": "to rumple, knead"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *menk- (“to rumple, knead”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "mengen",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to mix, blend, mingle"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch mengen (“to mix, blend, mingle”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "mengen",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to mix"
      },
      "expansion": "German mengen (“to mix”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "da",
        "2": "mænge",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to rub"
      },
      "expansion": "Danish mænge (“to rub”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "ġemang",
        "3": "",
        "4": "mixture, union, troop, crowd, multitude, congregation, assembly, business, cohabitation"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English ġemang (“mixture, union, troop, crowd, multitude, congregation, assembly, business, cohabitation”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "mingen",
      "mingen#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "mengen",
      "mengen#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "mengan",
      "mengan#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*mangijan",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/mangijan"
    ],
    [
      "*menk-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/menk-"
    ],
    [
      "mengen",
      "mengen#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "mengen",
      "mengen#German"
    ],
    [
      "mænge",
      "mænge#Danish"
    ],
    [
      "ġemang",
      "gemang#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "among",
      "among#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A mixture.",
        "The state of being under mixed ownership; land under mixed ownership, particularly without physical demarcations designating ownership."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Ireland",
        "UK",
        "obsolete"
      ],
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    },
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To mix, blend, mingle.",
        "To bring (people, animals etc.) together; to be joined, in marriage or sexual intercourse.",
        "To produce through mixing; especially, to knead."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "archaic",
        "obsolete",
        "Ireland",
        "UK",
        "dialectal"
      ],
      "recordId": "ca7f57e47a209a7688667b8f7c5acfa92b22c1588e8d34c30276c2c3c32dd359",
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}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
verb

To be unattractive (person or object). · To be foul-smelling.

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

Backformation from minging.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [],
  "links": [
    [
      "minging",
      "minging#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To be unattractive (person or object).",
        "To be foul-smelling."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Ireland",
        "UK",
        "slang"
      ],
      "recordId": "a9384627cc0cb8943cf01db6b11a480d44af4c7c5b244436db6b91701baa79be",
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}

Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗
verb

To speak of, to mention.

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

From Middle English mingen, mengen, mungen, muneȝen, from Old English myngian, mynegian, ġemynegian (“to bring to mind, have in mind”), from myne (“mind”), from ġemunan (“to remember”), from Proto-Germanic *munaną (“to think”), from Proto-Indo-European *men- (“to think”). Merged in Middle English with Old English ġemyndgian (“to remember, be mindful, remind, intend, commemorate, mention, exhort, impel, warn, demand payment”). More at mind.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "mingen"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English mingen"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "myngian"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English myngian"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*munaną",
        "4": "",
        "5": "to think"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *munaną (“to think”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*men-",
        "4": "",
        "5": "to think"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *men- (“to think”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "ncog",
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "ġemyndgian",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to remember, be mindful, remind, intend, commemorate, mention, exhort, impel, warn, demand payment"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English ġemyndgian (“to remember, be mindful, remind, intend, commemorate, mention, exhort, impel, warn, demand payment”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "mingen",
      "mingen#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "mengen",
      "mengen#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "mungen",
      "mungen#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "muneȝen",
      "muneȝen#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "myngian",
      "myngian#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "mynegian",
      "mynegian#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "ġemynegian",
      "gemynegian#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "myne",
      "myne#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "ġemunan",
      "gemunan#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*munaną",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/munaną"
    ],
    [
      "*men-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/men-"
    ],
    [
      "ġemyndgian",
      "gemyndgian#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "mind",
      "mind#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To speak of, to mention."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "obsolete",
        "transitive"
      ],
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}

Source etymology 4

Original entry ↗
noun

Destiny, fate.

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

From Chinese 命 (mìng, “destiny, fate; luck”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

  • Borrowed-form mention命zh
Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "zh",
        "3": "命",
        "4": "",
        "5": "destiny, fate; luck",
        "tr": "mìng"
      },
      "expansion": "Chinese 命 (mìng, “destiny, fate; luck”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "命",
      "命#Chinese"
    ],
    [
      "mìng",
      "mìng"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Destiny, fate."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "recordId": "dafae6af188e77f5b47c663b2da12ddbf3bd7b308c7fa912adfa23228f6aaf4d",
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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 ming →

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-bWluZw