WordDaily - Mickle
ˈmik(ə)l
NOUN
A large amount.
ADJECTIVE
Very large.
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XAMPLE SENTENCES
“That’s a mickle couch; I don’t think we can get it up the stairs.”
“I need a mickle of onions chopped up for this recipe.”
“You’ve caused a mickle of trouble for yourself.”
WORD ORIGIN
Germanic, pre-12th century
WHY THIS WORD?
“Mickle,” or “muckle,” is a Germanic word (essentially meaning it’s European, but doesn’t stem from Latin) that dates back to before the 12th century. The English usage came from Scottish, but lexicographers trace variations of the same word and meaning across many languages, including Old Saxon, Dutch, Icelandic, Swedish, Gothic, Albanian, Celtic, and even Sanskrit. “Mickle” can be used as an adjective (“very large”), a noun (“a large amount”), or an adverb (“to a great extent; by far”). It only makes sense that a word for “big” can be used in so many ways and in so many languages.
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