Etymology Explorer › Norwegian Bokmål

Where does “møy” come from?

møy (Norwegian Bokmål) comes from Old Norse mey, from Old Norse mær, from Proto-Germanic mawī, from Proto-Indo-European magʰ- — young; can, to be able.

møy (Norwegian Bokmål): maiden, bachelorette, unmarried woman; virgin

Definitions

  1. maiden, bachelorette, unmarried woman; virgin

Ancestry of “møy”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old NorsemeyAlternative form of mær
2Old Norsemærmaid, girl, virgin; daughter; Alternative form of...
3Proto-Germanicmawīgirl
4Proto-Indo-Europeanmagʰ-young; can, to be able
Every word from Proto-Indo-European magʰ- →