Where does “מאַלפּע” come from?
מאַלפּע (Yiddish) comes from Polish małpa, from German Maulaffe, from German Maul, from Middle High German mūl, from Old High German mūl, from Proto-West Germanic *mūl, from Proto-Germanic mūlą, from Proto-Indo-European mū- — fly, mosquito; fly, midge; lips, muzzle.
מאַלפּע (Yiddish): monkey or ape
Ancestry of “מאַלפּע”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Polish | małpa | monkey, ape; at sign; A black person, a person of... |
| 2 | German | Maulaffe | head-shaped holder for fatwood, where the fatwood... |
| 3 | German | Maul | mouth of an animal; mouth of a person; a part of... |
| 4 | Middle High German | mūl | — |
| 5 | Old High German | mūl | — |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | *mūl | — |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | mūlą | muzzle |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | mū- | fly, mosquito; fly, midge; lips, muzzle |