Where does “málbein” come from?

málbein (Icelandic) comes from Icelandic mál, from Icelandic mála, from Old Norse mála, from Middle Low German mālen, from Old Saxon *mālōn, from Proto-West Germanic *mālēn, from Proto-Albanian melana, from Proto-Indo-European melh₂-n- — to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange.

málbein (Icelandic): hyoid bone; Used in set phrases

Definitions

  1. hyoid bone; Used in set phrases

Ancestry of “málbein”, step by step

málbein traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Icelandic mál

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Icelandicmállanguage; speech; matter, affair
2Icelandicmálato paint; indefinite genitive plural of mál
3Old Norsemálato grind
4Middle Low Germanmālento draw, paint; to paint
5Old Saxon*mālōn—
6Proto-West Germanic*mālēnto paint
7Proto-Albanianmelanablack
8Proto-Indo-Europeanmelh₂-n-dull black
9Proto-Indo-Europeanmelh₂-to grind, to crush
10Proto-Indo-Europeanmel-soft; tender; weak; to deceive; to rub
11Proto-Indo-Europeanmey-to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange

via Icelandic bein

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Icelandicbeina bone
2Old Norsebeinleg; bone
3Proto-Germanicbainąleg; bone
4Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰeyh₂-to fear, be afraid; to strike, hit; to hew, cut
Every word from Proto-Indo-European mey- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European mel- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European melh₂- →