Mirage etymology

English

English word mirage comes from Proto-Indo-European *smei-, Proto-Italic *smeiros, and later Latin mirus (Wonderful, marvelous, amazing, surprising, awesome.)

Etymology of mirage

Detailed word origin of mirage

Dictionary entry Language Definition
*smei- Proto-Indo-European (ine) to smear, stroke, wipe, rub
*smeiros Proto-Italic (itc-pro)
mirus English (en)
mirus Latin (lat) Wonderful, marvelous, amazing, surprising, awesome.
miror Latin (lat) (transitive) I am astonished at, marvel at, admire, am amazed at, wonder at.
mirer Old French (fro) To look at; to watch.
mirer French (fr) (literary, or, dated) to watch intensely, to stare.
mirage French (fr) Mirage.
mirage English (en) (transitive) To cause to appear as or like a mirage. (figuratively) An illusion.. An optical phenomenon in which light is refracted through a layer of hot air close to the ground, giving the appearance of there being refuge in the distance.

Words with the same origin as mirage

Descendants of *smei-

admire miracle mirror