Where does “-meal” come from?
-meal (English) comes from Middle English mele, from Old English melu, from Proto-West Germanic melu, from Proto-Germanic melwą, from Proto-Indo-European melh₂-, from Proto-Indo-European mel-, from Proto-Indo-European mey- — to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange.
-meal (English): Used to denote a fixed number, measure, or amount...
Definitions
- Used to denote a fixed number, measure, or amount...
Ancestry of “-meal”, step by step
-meal traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English mele
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | mele | Flour, especially that of wheat; The meal of... |
| 2 | Old English | melu | flour; meal, the edible part of a grain or pulse |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | melu | ground corn, meal, flour |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | melwą | ground corn, meal, flour |
| 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 |