Where does “emakeel” come from?

emakeel (Estonian) comes from Estonian keel, from Proto-Finnic keeli, from Proto-Uralic käle — tongue; language.

emakeel (Estonian): mother tongue

Definitions

  1. mother tongue

Ancestry of “emakeel”, step by step

emakeel traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Estonian keel

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Estoniankeellanguage; tongue; string of musical instrument
2Proto-Finnickeelitongue; language
3Proto-Uralickäletongue; language

via Estonian ema

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Estonianemamother; a reproductive female animal in a hive; a...
2Proto-Finnicemämother
3Proto-Uralicemämother
Every word from Proto-Uralic käle →Every word from Proto-Finnic keeli →Every word from Estonian keel →