mayhem
/ˈmeɪhɛm/
mayhem
Definition
A state or situation of great confusion, disorder, trouble or destruction; chaos.
Etymology
From Middle English mayme, mahaime, from Anglo-Norman mahaim (“mutilation”), from Old French meshaing (“bodily harm, loss of limb”), from Proto-Germanic *maidijaną (“to cripple, injure”) (compare Middle High German meidem, meiden (“gelding”), Old Norse meiða (“to injure”), Gothic 𐌼𐌰𐌹𐌳𐌾𐌰𐌽 (maidjan, “to alter, falsify”)), from Proto-Indo-European *mey- (“to change”). More at mad. The original meaning referred to the crime of maiming; the other senses derived from this. Another possible etymology derives the Old French from Provençal maganhar, composed of mal (“evil”) and ganhar (“to obtain, receive”) (compare with Spanish ganar and Italian gavagnare and guadagnare), so literally "to obtain, receive something evil". The sense "chaos" may have arisen by popular misunderstanding of the common journalese expression "rioting and mayhem".
Example Sentences
- "to cause mayhem"
- "What if the legendary hero Robin Hood had been born into the mayhem of the 20th century?"
- "In all the mayhem, some children were separated from their parents."