entry
mountain
/ˈmaʊntɪn/A conspicuously high, steep natural landform
From Proto-Indo-European men (to project or rise outward).
from Latin montanus "mountainous, of mountains,"
from Vulgar Latin *montanea "mountain, mountain region," noun use of fem. of *montaneus "of a mountain, mountainous,"
from Old French montaigne (Modern French montagne )
Word Ancestry
from Latin montanus "mountainous, of mountains,"
from Vulgar Latin *montanea "mountain, mountain region," noun use of fem. of *montaneus "of a mountain, mountainous,"
from Old French montaigne (Modern French montagne )
Picture medieval travelers looking at a dramatic ridge and naming it with a word that ultimately meant “to project”—something thrusting boldly out of the landscape. Around 1200, English borrowed Old French montaigne, which came from Vulgar Latin *montanea and Latin montanus, all circling the Latin word mons, “mountain.” The same family produced mount, first associated with climbing onto a horse, and monte, the Spanish card game whose name referred to the heap of cards left after dealing. Even amount is connected through the idea of rising or piling up, while “mountain” itself once covered modest but conspicuous hills such as the Sussex Downs. So when something becomes “a mountain of paperwork,” English is quietly returning to the word’s oldest visual trick: anything piled high enough begins to look like a landform.
The Story
Picture medieval travelers looking at a dramatic ridge and naming it with a word that ultimately meant “to project”—something thrusting boldly out of the landscape. Around 1200, English borrowed Old French montaigne, which came from Vulgar Latin *montanea and Latin montanus, all circling the Latin word mons, “mountain.” The same family produced mount, first associated with climbing onto a horse, and monte, the Spanish card game whose name referred to the heap of cards left after dealing. Even amount is connected through the idea of rising or piling up, while “mountain” itself once covered modest but conspicuous hills such as the Sussex Downs. So when something becomes “a mountain of paperwork,” English is quietly returning to the word’s oldest visual trick: anything piled high enough begins to look like a landform.
Modern Usage
An obscure insult meaning someone has done something foolish, according to a user-submitted slang entry.
Notable References
- “Mountain dew” formerly referred to untaxed or inferior whiskey; the phrase is recorded by 1839.
Kin & Kindred
From 'men'·to project or rise outward
Derived Terms
English words from this root
Sources
Etymonline
Free Dictionary
Urban Dictionary
Wikipedia
Wiktionary