Where does “māl” come from?
māl (Old High German) comes from Proto-West Germanic māl, from Proto-Germanic mēlą, from Proto-Indo-European melh₂-, from Proto-Indo-European mel-, from Proto-Indo-European mey- — to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange.
māl (Old High German): a time; spot, stain
Ancestry of “māl”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Proto-West Germanic | māl | time, occasion; mealtime |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | mēlą | measure, measurement; time, occasion; point in... |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | melh₂- | to grind, to crush |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | mel- | soft; tender; weak; to deceive; to rub |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | mey- | to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange |