Where does “mail” come from?
mail (Romansch) comes from Vulgar Latin melum, from Latin mālum, from Ancient Greek μῆλον, from Proto-Indo-European (s)meh₁l- — small animal”; small animal.
mail (Romansch): apple
Ancestry of “mail”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Vulgar Latin | melum | apple |
| 2 | Latin | mālum | — |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | μῆλον | apple; any fruit from a tree; a woman's breast |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)meh₁l- | small animal”; small animal |