Midst

Midst

Noun / Preposition · /mɪdst/

Definition

(Noun) the middle part or point of something; (Preposition/Phrase) in the midst of — in the middle of; surrounded by; engaged in; during. Typically used in the phrases in the midst of and in our midst (among us).

Origin

From Middle English middes, from mid (middle, in the middle of) + the adverbial genitive -s suffix. The -t is a later addition, by analogy with words like against and amongst where a parasitic -t was added. The underlying mid is from Old English midd (middle), related to Latin medius (middle), Greek mesos (middle), and ultimately Proto-Indo-European *medhyo- (middle). The same *medhyo- root gives middle, medium, mediate, and Mediterranean.