Where does “malt” come from?
malt (Middle English) comes from Old English mealt, from Proto-West Germanic *malt, from Proto-Germanic maltą, from Proto-Indo-European meld-, from Proto-Indo-European mel-, from Proto-Indo-European mey- — to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange.
Ancestry of “malt”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | mealt | malt |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | *malt | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | maltą | malt |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | meld- | to beat, crush, grind |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | mel- | soft; tender; weak; to deceive; to rub |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | mey- | to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange |
Words derived from “malt”