Where does “mouton” come from?
mouton (Middle French) comes from Old French mouton, from Vulgar Latin molto, from Gaulish multon-, from Proto-Celtic moltos, from Proto-Indo-European (h₂)moldus, from Proto-Indo-European mel-, from Proto-Indo-European mey- — to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange.
Ancestry of “mouton”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old French | mouton | sheep; mutton |
| 2 | Vulgar Latin | molto | wether |
| 3 | Gaulish | multon- | sheep |
| 4 | Proto-Celtic | moltos | ram, wether |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | (h₂)moldus | soft, weak |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | mel- | soft; tender; weak; to deceive; to rub |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | mey- | to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange |