Where does “vaðmál” come from?

vaðmál (Old Norse) comes from Old Norse mál, 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.

Ancestry of “vaðmál”, step by step

vaðmál traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Old Norse mál

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Norsemállanguage; speech; matter, affair
2Proto-Germanicmēląmeasure, measurement; time, occasion; point in...
3Proto-Indo-Europeanmelh₂-to grind, to crush
4Proto-Indo-Europeanmel-soft; tender; weak; to deceive; to rub
5Proto-Indo-Europeanmey-to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange

via Old Norse vað

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Norsevaða ford
2Proto-Germanicwadąshallow water, ford
3Proto-Indo-Europeanweh₂dʰ-to go, to proceed; to pass, to traverse
Every word from Proto-Indo-European mey- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European mel- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European melh₂- →