Etymology

From Germanic *mēnan-, from Indo-European *mēnōt-, a suffixed form of an ultimate root *me- ‘measure’. Cognate with Old Frisian mōna, Old Saxon māno (Dutch maan), Old High German māno (German Mond), Old Norse máni (Swedish måne), Gothic 𐌼𐌴𐌽𐌰. The IE root was also the source of Ancient Greek ‘month’, Latin mensis, Old Irish mī, Old Slavic měsęc’ (Russian месяц ‘moon, month’).