Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “miltwaste” come from?

miltwaste (English) comes from English milt, from Middle English milte, from Old English milte, from Proto-Germanic meltǭ, from Proto-Indo-European (s)meld- — to soften, to melt.

miltwaste (English): A small European fern formerly used in medicine

Definitions

  1. A small European fern formerly used in medicine

Ancestry of “miltwaste”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishmiltThe spleen, especially of an animal bred for...
2Middle Englishmilte—
3Old Englishmiltespleen
4Proto-Germanicmeltǭspleen
5Proto-Indo-European(s)meld-to soften, to melt
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)meld- →