Mutual
/ˈmjuː.tʃu.əl/noun
Shared by two or more people or groups; reciprocal.
Did you know?Mutual descends from Latin roots linked to the idea of “changing” or “exchanging,” the same ancient family that gave English words like commute and permute—language built on the logic of swapping one thing for another.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*mei-
“to change, exchange”
Latin
Latin
mutāre
“to change, alter”
Latin
Latin
mutuus
“borrowed, lent; reciprocal, done in exchange”
Late Latin
LL
mutuālis
“reciprocal, mutual”
14th Century
English
mutuel
“reciprocal, shared”
Modern English
English
mutual
“shared by both sides; reciprocal”
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