Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “malm” come from?

malm (English) comes from Middle English malme, from Old English mealm, from Proto-Germanic malmaz, from Proto-Indo-European melh₂-, from Proto-Indo-European mel-, from Proto-Indo-European mey- — to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange.

malm (English): A soft, crumbly, chalky, grayish limestone; An...

Definitions

  1. A soft, crumbly, chalky, grayish limestone; An...

Ancestry of “malm”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishmalmesand
2Old Englishmealmsand, chalk
3Proto-Germanicmalmazsand; ore
4Proto-Indo-Europeanmelh₂-to grind, to crush
5Proto-Indo-Europeanmel-soft; tender; weak; to deceive; to rub
6Proto-Indo-Europeanmey-to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange
Every word from Proto-Indo-European mey- →