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Where does the word "mediocre" come from? It comes from Latin mediocris, and was adopted directly into English (1580s).
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Where does the word "mediocre" come from? It comes from Latin mediocris, and was adopted directly into English (1580s).
Mediocre’s story begins in Latin: mediocris meant “halfway up a mountain, moderate.” Literally halfway up a mountain, from medius (middle) and ocris (a rugged mountain). It reached English by 1580s as mediocre. Settled as the English word for something of average, unremarkable quality. Today, mediocre means of only average quality, neither very good nor very bad.
- Stage 1 · Latin · ancient mediocris "halfway up a mountain, moderate", literally halfway up a mountain, from medius (middle) and ocris (a rugged mountain).
- Stage 2 · English · 1580s mediocre "of only average quality, not very good", settled as the English word for something of average, unremarkable quality.