milch

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*h₂melǵ-“to wipe, wipe off, milk”
2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*melkaz“milky, milk-giving”
3. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*milkī
4. Old English · inherited from*melċe
5. Middle English · inherited frommylche
6. English todaymilch

From Middle English mylche, melche, from Old English *melċe, *milċe (attested in þrimilċe, þrimilċemōnaþ), from Proto-West Germanic *milkī, *malkī, from Proto-Germanic *melkaz (“milky, milk-giving”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂melǵ- (“to wipe, wipe off, milk”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian meelk (“milch”), Low German melke (“milch”), German melk (“milk-giving, milch”), Alemannic German mëlch (“milch, milkable”), Icelandic milkur, mjólkur (“milk-giving”). More at milk. Compare milchig.

Words from the same roots