Where does “Milchstraße” come from?

Milchstraße (German) comes from German milch, from Middle High German milch, from Old High German miluh, from Proto-West Germanic meluk, from Proto-Germanic meluks, from Proto-Indo-European h₂melǵ- — to milk; milk.

Milchstraße (German): Milky Way (Galaxy)

Definitions

  1. Milky Way (Galaxy)

Ancestry of “Milchstraße”, step by step

Milchstraße traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German milch

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanmilchmilk white liquid produced by female mammals for their young to consume
2Middle High Germanmilch—
3Old High Germanmiluh—
4Proto-West Germanicmelukmilk
5Proto-Germanicmeluksmilk
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂melǵ-to milk; milk

via German straße

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanstraßestreet; road a way wide enough to be passable for vehicles, generally paved, in or outside a settlement
2Middle High Germanstrāȥe—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂melǵ- →Every word from Proto-Germanic meluks →Every word from Proto-West Germanic meluk →