Etymology Explorer › Icelandic

Where does “mala” come from?

mala (Icelandic) comes 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-, from Proto-Indo-European melh₂-, from Proto-Indo-European mel- — to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange.

mala (Icelandic): to paint; indefinite genitive plural of mál

Definitions

  1. to paint; indefinite genitive plural of mál

Ancestry of “mala”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Norsemála—
2Middle Low Germanmālento draw, paint; to paint
3Old Saxon*mālōn—
4Proto-West Germanic*mālēn—
5Proto-Albanianmelanablack
6Proto-Indo-Europeanmelh₂-n-dull black
7Proto-Indo-Europeanmelh₂-to grind, to crush
8Proto-Indo-Europeanmel-soft; tender; weak; to deceive; to rub
9Proto-Indo-Europeanmey-to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange

Words derived from “mala”

  • listmálari
  • málari
  • málverk
Every word from Proto-Indo-European mey- →