Where does “mab” come from?
mab (Middle Breton) comes from Old Breton map, from Proto-Brythonic mab, from Proto-Celtic makʷos, from Proto-Indo-European mh₂ḱwos, from Proto-Indo-European meh₂ḱ- — to raise, increase; long.
Ancestry of “mab”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Breton | map | — |
| 2 | Proto-Brythonic | mab | son |
| 3 | Proto-Celtic | makʷos | son |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | mh₂ḱwos | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | meh₂ḱ- | to raise, increase; long |