Where does “málsháttur” come from?

málsháttur (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.

málsháttur (Icelandic): a proverb, a saying

Definitions

  1. a proverb, a saying

Ancestry of “málsháttur”, step by step

málsháttur 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 háttur

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Icelandichátturhabit, wont, custom; a kind, a type; way, manner
2Old Norseháttrhabit, wont, custom
3Proto-Germanichahtuzhabit, custom
4Proto-Germanichwahtuz—
5Proto-Indo-Europeankʷóḱ-tu-s—
6Proto-Indo-Europeankʷeḱ-to see; to look
Every word from Proto-Indo-European mey- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European mel- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European melh₂- →
málsháttur — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer