Where does “mailfile” come from?
mailfile (English) comes 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-, from Proto-Indo-European mey- — to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange.
mailfile (English): A file that stores electronic mail
Definitions
- A file that stores electronic mail
Ancestry of “mailfile”, step by step
mailfile traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English mail
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | A bag or wallet; A bag containing letters to be... | |
| 2 | Middle English | mal | — |
| 3 | Old English | māl | speech, contract, agreement; suit, case, action,... |
| 4 | Old Norse | mál | language; speech; matter, affair |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | mēlą | measure, measurement; time, occasion; point in... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | melh₂- | to grind, to crush |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | mel- | soft; tender; weak; to deceive; to rub |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | mey- | to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange |
via English filé
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | filé | A spicy herb made from the dried and ground... |
| 2 | French | filé | past participle of filer; simple or twisted... |
| 3 | French | filer | to spin; to thread through; to spin a thread |
| 4 | Latin | fīlāre | — |
| 5 | Latin | fīlum | thread, string, filament, fiber |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | fī(s)lom | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷʰiH-(s-)lo- | — |