Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “malleus” come from?

Malleus comes from Latin malleus, from Proto-Indo-European mal-ni-, mal-ni-, melH₂-, mel-, and mey-.

malleus (English): The small hammer-shaped bone of the middle ear;...

Definitions

  1. The small hammer-shaped bone of the middle ear;...

Ancestry of “malleus”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinmalleushammer, mallet; a disease of animals; the...
2Proto-Indo-Europeanmelh₂-no-—
3Proto-Indo-Europeanmelh₂-to grind, to crush
4Proto-Indo-Europeanmel-soft; tender; weak; to deceive; to rub
5Proto-Indo-Europeanmey-to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange

Words derived from “malleus”

  • malleiform
Every word from Proto-Indo-European mey- →