Midst
/mɪdst/noun
The middle point or central part of something.
Did you know?Midst is an old English noun built from the same ancient root as *middle* and *midnight*, showing how English kept turning a simple spatial idea into a powerful word for being surrounded.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
medhyo-
“middle”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*midjaz
“middle”
Old English
OE
middes
“in the middle, among”
Middle English
ME
midst
“middle part; in the middle of”
Modern English
English
midst
“the middle or central part; the state of being surrounded by something”