Where does “mladež” come from?
mladež (Serbo-Croatian) comes from Proto-Slavic moldežь, from Proto-Slavic moldъ, from Proto-Indo-European *ml̥dus, from Proto-Indo-European (s)meld- — to soften, to melt.
mladež (Serbo-Croatian): youth; mole; birthmark
Ancestry of “mladež”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Proto-Slavic | moldežь | youth; young person |
| 2 | Proto-Slavic | moldъ | young |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | *ml̥dus | — |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)meld- | to soften, to melt |