Where does “meltwater” come from?
Meltwater comes from English melt and water, where melt derives from Old English meltan, Proto-Germanic meltaną, and Proto-Indo-European (s)meld-, ultimately tracing to Proto-Indo-European wed- and mel-.
meltwater (English): Water from melting ice or snow
Definitions
- Water from melting ice or snow
Ancestry of “meltwater”, step by step
meltwater traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English water
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | water | A substance found at room temperature and... |
| 2 | Middle English | water | water; water vapour, condensation; lake, pond,... |
| 3 | Old English | wæter | water |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | watar | water |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | watōr | water |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | wódr̥ | water |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | wed- | water |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | wey- | to wither; fade; to move, go ahead; to be strong;... |