Etymology Explorer › Danish

Where does “malerisk” come from?

malerisk (Danish) comes from Danish måler, from Danish måle, from Old Norse mála, from Middle Low German mālen, from Old Saxon *mālōn, from Proto-West Germanic *mālēn, from Proto-Albanian melana, from Proto-Indo-European melh₂-n- — to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange.

malerisk (Danish): picturesque; graphic, vivid; painterly

Definitions

  1. picturesque; graphic, vivid; painterly

Ancestry of “malerisk”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Danishmålermeasurer; meter; present of måle
2Danishmålemeasure
3Old Norsemála—
4Middle Low Germanmālento draw, paint; to paint
5Old Saxon*mālōn—
6Proto-West Germanic*mālēn—
7Proto-Albanianmelanablack
8Proto-Indo-Europeanmelh₂-n-dull black
9Proto-Indo-Europeanmelh₂-to grind, to crush
10Proto-Indo-Europeanmel-soft; tender; weak; to deceive; to rub
11Proto-Indo-Europeanmey-to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange
Every word from Proto-Indo-European mey- →