Where does “maw” come from?
Maw comes from Middle English -en, derived from Proto-Indo-European mot-, ultimately related to Proto-Indo-European magʰ- meaning to knead or mix.
maw (English): The stomach, especially of an animal; The upper...
Definitions
- The stomach, especially of an animal; The upper...
Ancestry of “maw”, step by step
maw traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English mawe
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | mawe | Alternative form of mewe; The stomach or guts of... |
| 2 | Old English | maga | capable; stomach; maw |
| 3 | Old English | maġan | can, to be able |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | magan | to be able, may |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | maganą | to be able, may |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (me)mógʰe | to have power, to be able to |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | megʰ- | to be able |
via Proto-Germanic *makô
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Proto-Germanic | *makô | — |