mayhem

Meaning

Noun

• A state or situation of great confusion, disorder, trouble or destruction; chaos.
• Infliction of violent injury on a person or thing.
• The maiming of a person by depriving him of the use of any of his limbs which are necessary for defense or protection.
• The crime of damaging things or harming people on purpose.

Origin

• From Middle English mayme, mahaime, from Anglo-Norman mahaim ("mutilation"), from Old French mahaign ("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 ("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 and ganhar (compare with Spanish ganar and Italian gavagnare and guadagnare), so literally "to obtain, receive something evil).
• Meaning #1 may have arisen by popular misunderstanding of the common journalese expression "rioting and mayhem".