Where does “*mōtan” come from?
*mōtan (West Germanic) comes from Proto-Germanic mōtaną, from Proto-Indo-European mōd-, from Proto-Indo-European med- — to measure; to give advice; healing.
Ancestry of “*mōtan”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Proto-Germanic | mōtaną | to be allowed, to be permitted to, may |
| 2 | Proto-Indo-European | mōd- | to permit, make able |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | med- | to measure; to give advice; healing |