Where does “mëllenjan” come from?
mëllenjan (Albanian) comes from Albanian mëllenjë, from Proto-Albanian melanjā, from Proto-Albanian melana, from Proto-Indo-European melh₂-n-, from Proto-Indo-European melh₂-, from Proto-Indo-European mel-, from Proto-Indo-European mey- — to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange.
Ancestry of “mëllenjan”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Albanian | mëllenjë | Eurasian blackbird; black goat |
| 2 | Proto-Albanian | melanjā | Eurasian blackbird (Turdus merula) |
| 3 | Proto-Albanian | melana | black |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | melh₂-n- | dull black |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | melh₂- | to grind, to crush |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | mel- | soft; tender; weak; to deceive; to rub |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | mey- | to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange |