Where does “vortemælk” come from?
vortemælk (Danish) comes from Danish vorte, from Old Norse varta, from Proto-Germanic wartǭ, from Proto-Indo-European wers-, from Proto-Indo-European wer- — to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel.
vortemælk (Danish): spurge
Ancestry of “vortemælk”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Danish | vorte | wart; nipple |
| 2 | Old Norse | varta | a wart |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | wartǭ | wart |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | wers- | to wipe; peak, height |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |