Where does “Mäusemelken” come from?
Mäusemelken (German) comes from German melken, from Middle High German mëlken, from Old High German melchan, from Proto-Germanic melkaną, from Proto-Indo-European h₂melǵ- — to milk; milk.
Mäusemelken (German): something tedious and futile that one might try because the situation is so hopeless; generally used only in
Definitions
- something tedious and futile that one might try because the situation is so hopeless; generally used only in
Ancestry of “Mäusemelken”, step by step
Mäusemelken traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via German melken
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | melken | to milk (a cow, goat etc.) |
| 2 | Middle High German | mëlken | — |
| 3 | Old High German | melchan | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | melkaną | to milk |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂melǵ- | to milk; milk |
via German Mäuse
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Mäuse | money |