What is the etymology of モテる?


Where does モテ come from? モテる to be popular with opposite sex.




モテる derives from 持てる. It is written with katakana to show its colloquial
meaning. (Note that it is モテる and not *モてる. Similarly one has キレる, イケる, ウケる,
etc.)

For example 大辞林 has

> **もてる** 【持てる】
>
> （動 タ 下一）  
>  〔「持つ」の可能動詞から〕
>
> ① 人気があって、ちやほやされる。 「女に－・てる男」  
>  ② 長くその状態を保つ。維持する。もちこたえる。 「共通の話題がなくて座が－・てない」

I guess the meaning of モテる can be explained as follows. 持てる means "to be able
to carry/bear" and a secondary meaning is "to sustain/support". The meaning of
モテる "to be popular" now derives from this extended meaning "to
support/endorse". (Note also 持て囃す・持て栄す "to praise".)

Grammatically, this might be a bit confusing as the role of もてる is somewhere
between active voice ("to support") and passive voice ("to be supported"), but
on this point even the dictionaries cannot agree: For example 大辞泉 lists 維持
**される** as a meaning, whereas 大辞林 (above) has 維持 **する**.

