Etymology Of Mirror Throughout human history, human beings have made reflective devices from pieces of polished metal or metal and glass, in cultures in Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, and even remote Siberia. In Western culture, the word ‘mirror’ itself has a complex history. In English it appears in the early 13th century, coming from the Old French term mireor. That term came from the Latin verb mirari, meaning to wonder at, or admire. So, already in Latin, the words for the common mirror and for something special or magical were intertwined. Moreover, Latin had the word speculum, a general term for mirror, but also related to