Where does “*malto” come from?
*malto (Proto-Finno-Ugric) comes from Proto-Germanic maltaz, from Proto-Indo-European (s)meld- — to soften, to melt.
Ancestry of “*malto”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Proto-Germanic | maltaz | soft; nesh; weak; squashy; melting; malt; soft,... |
| 2 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)meld- | to soften, to melt |