Where does “Melkweg” come from?
Melkweg (Dutch) comes from Dutch weg, from Middle Dutch wech, from Old Dutch weg, from Proto-West Germanic weg, from Proto-Germanic wēgaz, from Proto-Indo-European weǵʰ- — to bring; to transport.
Melkweg (Dutch): Milky Way
Definitions
- Milky Way
Ancestry of “Melkweg”, step by step
Melkweg traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Dutch weg
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dutch | weg | way, road; away; gone, disappeared |
| 2 | Middle Dutch | wech | way, road, path; journey; direction, approach |
| 3 | Old Dutch | weg | way, path |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | weg | way, road |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | wēgaz | wave; sea |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | weǵʰ- | to bring; to transport |
via Dutch melk
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dutch | melk | milk; Various resembling 'milky' juices, as... |
| 2 | Middle Dutch | melc | milk |
| 3 | Old Dutch | miluk | — |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | meluk | milk |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | meluks | milk |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂melǵ- | to milk; milk |
via Latin Via Lactea
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | Via Lactea | the Milky Way |
| 2 | Latin | viā | road, street, path |
| 3 | Proto-Italic | *wiā | road |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | wih₁eh₂- | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | weyh₁- | to chase, pursue; to suppress, persecute |