Etymograph

English

mole

Mole comes from Old English māl ‘a mole, spot, mark, blemish’, from Proto-Indo-European *mel- ‘to worry, be late’, and ultimately from *mey- ‘to attach, bind, strengthen’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mey-1‘to attach, bind, strengthen’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mel-1‘to worry, be late’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*mailą1‘spot, wrinkle’reconstructed
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*mail1reconstructed
  5. Old Englishc. 450–1150māl1‘a mole, spot, mark, blemish’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500mole1
  7. Englishtodaymole1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English mole

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mey-Wiktionary, English mole‘to attach, bind, strengthen’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mel-Wiktionary, English mole‘to worry, be late’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*mailąWiktionary, English mole‘spot, wrinkle’reconstructed
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*mailWiktionary, English molereconstructed
  5. Old Englishc. 450–1150mālWiktionary, English mole‘a mole, spot, mark, blemish’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500moleWiktionary, English mole
  7. EnglishtodaymoleWiktionary, English mole

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *mey- ‘to attach, bind, strengthen’

mean, community, met, minister, minute, commission, common, communication, ministry, minor, mess, commit, communist, menu, mutual, communicate, compromise, immune, mere, minus, ammunition, immunity, missile, dismiss, premise, communism, municipality, communal, communion, mural, mayhem, intermittent, commune, remuneration, noodle, ammo, moor, 79 more

through Proto-Indo-European *mel- ‘to worry, be late’

multiple, amelia, 33 more

through Old English māl ‘a mole, spot, mark, blemish’

mail

through Middle English mole

meal

Another origin of mole

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)melw-‘to grind, crush, beat’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*molg-reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*mulazreconstructed
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*mol(h)reconstructed
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500molle
  6. Englishtodaymole

Derivation as an abbreviation of Middle English molewarpe, a variation of moldewarpe, moldwerp (‘mole’) in Middle English is unexplained and probably unlikely due to the simultaneous occurrence of both words.

Another origin of mole

  1. Frenchc. 1600–presentmôleuncertain
  2. Englishtodaymole

Another origin of mole

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*melh₂-‘to grind, crush’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*molh₂éh₂reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*molāreconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmola‘millstone’
  5. Frenchc. 1600–presentmôle
  6. Englishtodaymole

From French môle f, from Latin mola (‘millstone’), because it is a hardened mass.

Another origin of mole

  1. Classical Nahuatlc. 1300–1600mōlli‘sauce’
  2. Spanishc. 1500–presentmole‘mole, a type of stew’
  3. Englishtodaymole

Today it means

noun A naevus, a pigmented, slightly raised, and sometimes hairy spot on the skin.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “mole”. 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 / Proto-Indo-European *mey- / mole

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