Etymology Explorer › English

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

  1. Used to denote a fixed number, measure, or amount...

Ancestry of “-meal”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishmeleFlour, especially that of wheat; The meal of...
2Old Englishmeluflour; meal, the edible part of a grain or pulse
3Proto-West Germanicmeluground corn, meal, flour
4Proto-Germanicmelwąground corn, meal, flour
5Proto-Indo-Europeanmelh₂-to grind, to crush
6Proto-Indo-Europeanmel-soft; tender; weak; to deceive; to rub
7Proto-Indo-Europeanmey-to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange

Words derived from “-meal”

  • inchmeal
  • leafmeal
  • pagemeal
  • wordmeal
Every word from Proto-Indo-European mey- →