Where does “Mahlzeit” come from?

Mahlzeit (German) comes from German mahl, from Middle High German māl, from Old High German māl, from Proto-West Germanic māl, 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.

Mahlzeit (German): meal

Definitions

  1. meal

Ancestry of “Mahlzeit”, step by step

Mahlzeit traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German mahl

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanmahlsingular imperative of mahlen; first-person...
2Middle High Germanmāl—
3Old High Germanmāla time; spot, stain
4Proto-West Germanicmāltime, occasion; mealtime
5Proto-Germanicmēląmeasure, measurement; time, occasion; point in...
6Proto-Indo-Europeanmelh₂-to grind, to crush
7Proto-Indo-Europeanmel-soft; tender; weak; to deceive; to rub
8Proto-Indo-Europeanmey-to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange

via German Zeit

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanZeittime; time of day; period, era
2Middle High Germanzīttime
3Old High Germanzīttime
4Proto-Indo-Europeandéh₂itisinterval, period of time
5Proto-Indo-Europeandeh₂y-to share, divide
6Proto-Indo-Europeandeh₂-to share, divide

Words derived from “Mahlzeit”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European mey- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European mel- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European melh₂- →