Where does “melngans” come from?

melngans (Latvian) comes from Latvian melns, from Proto-Baltic mel(n)-, from Proto-Indo-European mel-, from Proto-Indo-European mey- — to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange.

melngans (Latvian): fairly dark, almost black, blackish

Definitions

  1. fairly dark, almost black, blackish

Ancestry of “melngans”, step by step

melngans traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Latvian melns

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latvianmelnsblack; Black; dirty, smudged with something black...
2Proto-Balticmel(n)-black, blue
3Proto-Indo-Europeanmel-soft; tender; weak; to deceive; to rub
4Proto-Indo-Europeanmey-to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange

via Latvian gans

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latviangansshepherd
Every word from Proto-Indo-European mey- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European mel- →Every word from Proto-Baltic mel(n)- →