Where does “mailroom” come from?
mailroom (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.
mailroom (English): A room used for receiving and sending mail
Definitions
- A room used for receiving and sending mail
Ancestry of “mailroom”, step by step
mailroom 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 room
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | room | Opportunity or scope; Space "for" something, or... |
| 2 | Middle English | roum | A space or area; A room |
| 3 | Old English | rūm | room, space; roomy, spacious, ample, extensive,... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | rūm | roomy, spacious; room, open space |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | rūmaz | roomy, spacious, open |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | rewh₁- | free space |