different between middling vs middle

English

Etymology

The noun is probably from middle (noun) +? -ing; the adjective is most likely derived from the noun, and the adverb from the adjective.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?m?dl??/, /?m?dl???/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?m?d(?)l??/
• Hyphenation: mid?dl?ing

Adjective

middling (comparative more middling, superlative most middling)

1. Of intermediate or average size, position, or quality; mediocre.
2. (colloquial, regional Britain) In fairly good health.

Synonyms

• (intermediate or average in size, position, or quality): average, medium, unexceptional

Derived terms

• fair to middling
• middlings
• middling sort

Translations

Adverb

middling (comparative more middling, superlative most middling)

1. (colloquial, regional Britain) Fairly, moderately, somewhat.
   • 1811, Engelbert Kempfer [i.e., Engelbert Kaempfer]; J[ohann] G[aspar] Scheuchzer, transl., “The Division and Sub-division of the Empire of Japan into Its Several Provinces; as also of Its Revenue and Government”, in The History of Japan; republished in John Pinkerton, editor, A General Collection of the Best and Most Interesting Voyages and Travels in All Parts of the World; Many of which are Now First Translated into English. Digested on a New Plan, volume VII, London: Printed for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, Paternoster-Row; and Cadell and Davies, in the Strand, ?OCLC, page 665:

     Iwami, otherwise Sekisju, is two days journey long, going from ?outh to north, a middling good country, producing plenty of cannib, and affording ?ome ?alt.

2. (colloquial, regional Britain) Not too badly, with modest success.

Noun

middling (plural middlings)

1. Something of intermediate or average size, position, or quality.
   1. (in the plural) Preceded by the: people of moderate means; members of the middle class.

Further reading

• Michael Quinion (created 26 May 2001, last updated 1 October 2016) , “Fair to middling”, in World Wide Words

English

Alternative forms

• myddle (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English middel, from Old English middel, middle (“middle, centre, waist”), from Proto-Germanic *midl?, *midil?, *medal? (“middle”), a diminutive of Proto-Germanic *midj? (“middle, midst”) (compare *midjaz (“mid, middle”, adjective)), from Proto-Indo-European *méd?yos (“between, in the middle, middle”). Cognate with West Frisian middel, Dutch middel, German mittel (“middle”, adjective), German Mittel (“middle, means”, noun), Danish middel (“means, agent, medicine”). Related also to Swedish medel (“means, medium”), Icelandic meðal (“means, medicine”). See also mid.

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /?m?d?l/, [?m?.???]
• (UK) IPA^(key): /?m?d?l/, [?m?.d??], [?m?.d?]
• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /?m?d?l/, [?m??.d??], [?m??.d?], [?m??.?-]
• (General New Zealand) IPA^(key): /?m?d?l/, [?m?.d?(?)], [?m?.?-]
• Rhymes: -?d?l

Noun

middle (plural middles)

1. A centre, midpoint.

2. The part between the beginning and the end.

3. (cricket) The middle stump.
4. The central part of a human body; the waist.
   • Fasting In A Fast World

     If I have a diet plan and stick to it, it is easy for me to have control over my middle.

5. (grammar) The middle voice.

Synonyms

• (centre): centre, center, midpoint; see also Thesaurus:midpoint
• (part between the beginning and the end): centre, center, midst

Translations

Adjective

middle (not comparable)

1. Located in the middle; in between.

   the middle point

   middle name, Middle English, Middle Ages

2. Central.
3. (grammar) Pertaining to the middle voice.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:intermediate

Translations

Derived terms

Related terms

• mid-
• middle- (in compounds; not a prefix)
• middling

Verb

middle (third-person singular simple present middles, present participle middling, simple past and past participle middled)

1. (obsolete) To take a middle view of. [17th–18th c.]
   • 1748, Samuel Richardson, Clarissa, Letter 27:

     And now, to middle the matter between both, it is pity, that the man they favour has not that sort of merit which a person of a mind so delicate as that of Miss Harlowe might reasonably expect in a husband.

2. (obsolete, nautical, transitive) To double (a rope) into two equal portions; to fold in the middle. [19th c.]

Middle English

Adjective

middle

1. inflection of middel:
   1. weak singular
   2. strong/weak plural