Etymograph

English

mainful

Mainful comes from Middle English maynful ‘Potent, effective, tough’, and goes back to mayn.

  1. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500mayn1
  2. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500maynful2as meinful‘Potent, effective, tough’
  3. Englishearliest quotation 1844mainful2

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Middle English maynful
  2. 2 Wiktionary, English mainful
  3. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1844, The wars of Jehovah: “[…] And others, the rebellious cast down / Upon…”.

Earlier history not traced here. See Wiktionary.

Lineage

  1. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500maynWiktionary, Middle English maynful
  2. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500maynfulWiktionary, English mainfulas meinful‘Potent, effective, tough’
  3. Englishearliest quotation 1844mainfulWiktionary, English mainful. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1844, The wars of Jehovah: “[…] And others, the rebellious cast down / Upon…”

Linked words

through Middle English mayn

mainly, 1 more

Today it means

adj Powerful; mighty.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “mainful”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entry for Middle English maynful. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Middle English mayn / mainful

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