Where does “maul” come from?
Maul comes from Middle English malle, from Anglo-Norman mail, from Old French mail, from Latin malleus meaning hammer, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European mel- meaning to crush or grind.
maul (English): A heavy long-handled hammer, used for splitting...
Definitions
- A heavy long-handled hammer, used for splitting...
Ancestry of “maul”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | malle | mace, maul |
| 2 | Anglo-Norman | a hammer | |
| 3 | Old French | a hammer | |
| 4 | Latin | malleus | hammer, mallet; a disease of animals; the... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | melh₂-no- | — |
| 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 |