Where does “Maltese” come from?
Maltese derives from English Malta, from Latin Melita, from Ancient Greek Μελίτη, with the suffix -ensis from Latin, ultimately tracing to Proto-Indo-European ne.
Maltese (English): An inhabitant or a resident of Malta; A small...
Definitions
- An inhabitant or a resident of Malta; A small...
Ancestry of “Maltese”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | malta | A non-alcoholic carbonated malt beverage, popular... |
| 2 | Spanish | Malta | malt |
| 3 | English | MALT | Initialism of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue |
| 4 | Middle English | malt | malt malted grain |
| 5 | Old English | mealt | malt |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | *malt | malt |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | maltą | malt |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | meld- | to beat, crush, grind |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | mel- | soft; tender; weak; to deceive; to rub |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | mey- | to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange |