Etymology Explorer › Old Norse

Where does “meiðr” come from?

meiðr (Old Norse) comes from Proto-Germanic maidaz, from Proto-Indo-European mēy- — soft, tender, dear.

meiðr (Old Norse): longitudinal beam; sledge-runner; pole, log;...

Definitions

  1. longitudinal beam; sledge-runner; pole, log;...

Ancestry of “meiðr”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Germanicmaidazhurt, wounded; mad, foolish; angry, enraged
2Proto-Indo-Europeanmēy-soft, tender, dear
Every word from Proto-Indo-European mēy- →