Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “milk” come from?

milk (Middle English) comes from Old English meolc, from Proto-West Germanic meluk, from Proto-Germanic meluks, from Proto-Indo-European h₂melǵ- — to milk; milk.

Ancestry of “milk”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishmeolcmilk
2Proto-West Germanicmelukmilk
3Proto-Germanicmeluksmilk
4Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂melǵ-to milk; milk

Words derived from “milk”

  • milk
  • milkman
  • milkmaid
  • milkweed
  • milkshake
  • soymilk
  • milkfish
  • milkfat
  • milkwoman
  • milkwort
  • milkless
  • milkhouse
  • foremilk
  • milkwood
  • hindmilk
  • milkpan
  • milklike
  • nonmilk
  • milkstone
  • milkie
  • milkshed
  • milkfed
  • milkt
  • cowmilk
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂melǵ- →