Where does “málfrelsi” come from?

málfrelsi (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.

málfrelsi (Icelandic): freedom of speech

Definitions

  1. freedom of speech

Ancestry of “málfrelsi”, step by step

málfrelsi 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 frelsi

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Icelandicfrelsifreedom, liberty
2Old Norsefrelsi—
3Proto-Germanicfrijahalsazfreedom, liberty, the state of not being...
4Proto-Germanicfrijazfree
5Proto-Indo-EuropeanpriHósdear, beloved; happy, free
6Proto-Indo-EuropeanpreyH-to love, to please
Every word from Proto-Indo-European mey- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European mel- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European melh₂- →