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Today it means

meek

quiet, gentle, and submissive by nature

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Where does the word "meek" come from? It comes from Old Norse mjukr, and was adopted directly into English (1200s).

Read the full story

Where does the word "meek" come from? It comes from Old Norse mjukr, and was adopted directly into English (1200s).

Meek’s story begins in Old Norse: mjukr meant “soft, gentle.” Soft, gentle, pliant. It reached English by 1200s as meek. Settled as the English word for a gentle, submissive quality. Today, meek means quiet, gentle, and submissive by nature.

  1. Stage 1 · Old Norse · medieval mjukr "soft, gentle", soft, gentle, pliant.
  2. Stage 2 · English · 1200s meek "quiet, gentle, and easily imposed upon", settled as the English word for a gentle, submissive quality.

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