Where does “melnis” come from?
melnis (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.
melnis (Latvian): black horse
Ancestry of “melnis”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Latvian | melns | black; Black; dirty, smudged with something black... |
| 2 | Proto-Baltic | mel(n)- | black, blue |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | mel- | soft; tender; weak; to deceive; to rub |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | mey- | to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange |