Blemish Definition

Origin of Blemish

• From Middle English blemisshen, blemissen, from Old French blemiss-, stem of Old French blemir, blesmir (“make pale, injure, wound, bruise”) (French blêmir), from Old Frankish *blesmjan, *blasmjan (“to make pale”), from Old Frankish *blasmi (“pale”), from Proto-Germanic *blasaz (“white, pale”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰel- (“to shine”). Cognate with Dutch bles (“white spot”), German blass (“pale”), Old English āblered (“bare, uncovered, bald”).

  From Wiktionary

• Middle English blemisshen to damage, mar from Old French blesmir, blemir blemiss- to make pale of Germanic origin bhel-¹ in Indo-European roots

  From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition