The Mill Gave English the Surname Miller
A mill grinds grain or manufactures goods. It was the machine at the centre of every village.
A mill is a building or machine for grinding grain, and by extension any factory. In medieval England the lord often held the milling monopoly: tenants were legally required to grind at his mill and pay a share of the flour, which is why hand querns were sometimes confiscated and why Miller became one of the commonest English surnames. The word is Old English *mylen*, from Latin *molina*, from *molere*, to grind — the same root as *molar*, the grinding tooth.
- A grinding machine. *A water mill.*
- A factory. *A steel mill.*
- To grind. *Milling flour.*
- To mill about. *A milling crowd.*
- Latin — *molere*, to grind. *The root.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | mill | A mill. |
| Verb | mill | Milling. |
| Agent | miller | A miller. |
| Related | molar | A molar. |
| Latin | molere | To grind. |
- The old water mill still turns.Machine.
- He worked at the steel mill.Factory.
- The crowd milled about.Movement.
Occupational surnames
- Miller — ground the village grain
- Smith — worked metal, the commonest of all
- Baker, Cooper, Fletcher, Turner — all trades
- Chandler — made candles
- These names froze when surnames became hereditary
Old English *mylen*, from Late Latin *molina*, from Latin *molere*, to grind.
Why is Miller such a common surname?
Because every village needed a mill, and often the lord required tenants to use his, making the miller a fixed and well-known figure.
Is molar related to mill?
Yes. Both come from Latin molere, to grind. A molar is a grinding tooth.