Etymograph

English

motley

Motley comes from Anglo-Norman motteley ‘parti-colored’, and goes back to Old English mot ‘speck’.

  1. Old Englishc. 450–1150mot1‘speck’
  2. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400motteley1‘parti-colored’
  3. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500motle1
  4. Englishearliest quotation c. 1598–1600motley1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English motley
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: c. 1598–1600, William Shakespeare, As You Like It: “I met a fool i' th' forest, / A…”.

Earlier history not traced here. See Wiktionary.

Lineage

  1. Old Englishc. 450–1150motWiktionary, English motley‘speck’
  2. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400motteleyWiktionary, English motley‘parti-colored’
  3. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500motleWiktionary, English motley
  4. Englishearliest quotation c. 1598–1600motleyWiktionary, English motley. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: c. 1598–1600, William Shakespeare, As You Like It: “I met a fool i' th' forest, / A…”

Formed from mottle + -y

The story

The English word can be analysed as mottle + -y.

Full etymology on Wiktionary

Linked words

through Old English mot ‘speck’

moot, mote, 1 more

Today it means

adj Comprising greatly varied elements, to the point of incongruity.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “motley”. 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 / Old English mot / motley

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