Etymology Explorer › Norwegian Bokmål

Where does “vindmølle” come from?

vindmølle (Norwegian Bokmål) comes from Norwegian Bokmål mølle, from Danish mølle, from Old Norse mylna, from Old English mylen, from Proto-West Germanic *mulīnu, from Latin molīna, from Latin mola, from Proto-Indo-European melh₂- — to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange.

vindmølle (Norwegian Bokmål): a windmill; a wind turbine

Definitions

  1. a windmill; a wind turbine

Ancestry of “vindmølle”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Norwegian Bokmålmøllea mill
2Danishmøllemill, millhouse
3Old Norsemylna—
4Old Englishmylenmill
5Proto-West Germanic*mulīnu—
6Latinmolīna—
7Latinmolamillstone; mill; ground meal
8Proto-Indo-Europeanmelh₂-to grind, to crush
9Proto-Indo-Europeanmel-soft; tender; weak; to deceive; to rub
10Proto-Indo-Europeanmey-to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange
Every word from Proto-Indo-European mey- →