Where does “voicemail” come from?
voicemail (Dutch) comes from English voicemail, from English mail, from Middle English mal, from Old English māl, from Old Norse mál, from Proto-Germanic mēlą, from Proto-Indo-European melh₂-, from Proto-Indo-European mel- — to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange.
voicemail (Dutch): voicemail, voice mailbox (system)
Definitions
- voicemail, voice mailbox (system)
Ancestry of “voicemail”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | voicemail | Alternative spelling of voice mail |
| 2 | English | A bag or wallet; A bag containing letters to be... | |
| 3 | Middle English | mal | — |
| 4 | Old English | māl | speech, contract, agreement; suit, case, action,... |
| 5 | Old Norse | mál | language; speech; matter, affair |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | mēlą | measure, measurement; time, occasion; point in... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | melh₂- | to grind, to crush |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | mel- | soft; tender; weak; to deceive; to rub |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | mey- | to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange |