Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “milkman” come from?

Milkman derives from English milk and English man, with milk tracing to Proto-Germanic melkaną and ultimately Proto-Indo-European h₂melǵ-, meaning to milk or extract.

milkman (English): A man who delivers milk to households and...

Definitions

  1. A man who delivers milk to households and...

Ancestry of “milkman”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishmilkA white liquid produced by the mammary glands of...
2Middle Englishmilk—
3Old Englishmeolcmilk
4Proto-West Germanicmelukmilk
5Proto-Germanicmeluksmilk
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂melǵ-to milk; milk
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂melǵ- →