Where does “millstone” come from?

Millstone comes from Middle English mylnston, from Old English mylenstān, a compound of mylen (mill) and stān (stone).

millstone (English): A large round stone used for grinding grain; A...

Definitions

  1. A large round stone used for grinding grain; A...

Ancestry of “millstone”, step by step

millstone traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle English mylnston

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishmylnstonmillstone, grindstone
2Old Englishmylenstānmillstone
3Old Englishmylenmill
4Proto-West Germanic*mulīnumill
5Latinmolīna—
6Latinmolamillstone; mill; ground meal
7Proto-Indo-Europeanmelh₂-to grind, to crush
8Proto-Indo-Europeanmel-soft; tender; weak; to deceive; to rub
9Proto-Indo-Europeanmey-to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange

via Middle English milneston

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishmilnestonAlternative form of mylnston
Every word from Proto-Indo-European mey- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European mel- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European melh₂- →