Etymology Map
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Mead

3 stages from Proto-Germanic to English.

Today it means an alcoholic drink of fermented honey and water

Where does the word "mead" come from? It comes from Proto-Germanic meduz, passing through Old English before entering English (1500s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
meduz
Proto-Germanic · ancient
"mead"
cognate with Greek 'methy', wine, and Sanskrit 'madhu', honey
2
Stage 2 of 3
medu
Old English · 700s-1000s
"mead"
the mead-hall is the centre of the world in 'Beowulf'
3
Stage 3 of 3
mead
English · 1500s
"mead"
faded as wine and beer won out, until modern craft brewers revived it
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Read the full story

Mead’s story begins in Proto-Germanic: meduz meant “mead.” Cognate with Greek 'methy', wine, and Sanskrit 'madhu', honey. By 700s-1000s, the word had taken hold in Old English as medu. The mead-hall is the centre of the world in 'Beowulf'. It reached English by 1500s as mead. Faded as wine and beer won out, until modern craft brewers revived it. Today, mead means an alcoholic drink of fermented honey and water.