Where does “mál” come from?
mál (Faroese) comes from Old Norse mál, from Proto-Germanic mēlą, from Proto-Indo-European melh₂-, from Proto-Indo-European mel-, from Proto-Indo-European mey- — to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange.
mál (Faroese): language; speech; talk
Ancestry of “mál”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Norse | mál | language; speech; matter, affair |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | mēlą | measure, measurement; time, occasion; point in... |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | melh₂- | to grind, to crush |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | mel- | soft; tender; weak; to deceive; to rub |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | mey- | to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange |