Etymology Explorer › Old High German

Where does “mālēn” come from?

mālēn (Old High German) comes from Proto-Germanic mēlijaną, from Proto-Indo-European melh₂-, from Proto-Indo-European mel-, from Proto-Indo-European mey- — to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange.

Ancestry of “mālēn”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Germanicmēlijanąto mark, stain, paint
2Proto-Indo-Europeanmelh₂-to grind, to crush
3Proto-Indo-Europeanmel-soft; tender; weak; to deceive; to rub
4Proto-Indo-Europeanmey-to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange

Words derived from “mālēn”

  • male
  • ausmalen
  • malen
  • Einmaleins
  • mal
  • malte
  • zigmal
  • paarmal
  • malować
  • malowidło
  • malebný
  • malovat
  • malba
  • olejomalba
  • zvukomalba
  • mālen
  • מאָלן
  • molen
Every word from Proto-Indo-European mey- →