Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/mēlą

This Proto-Germanic entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Germanic

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *meh₁lom, from the root *meh₁- (“to measure”). Compare Latin semel.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɛː.lɑ̃/

Noun

*mēlą n

1. measure, measurement
2. time, occasion
3. point in time, period of time
4. time for eating, meal

Inflection

neuter a-stemDeclension of *mēlą (neuter a-stem)
	singular	plural
nominative	*mēlą	*mēlō
vocative	*mēlą	*mēlō
accusative	*mēlą	*mēlō
genitive	*mēlas, *mēlis	*mēlǫ̂
dative	*mēlai	*mēlamaz
instrumental	*mēlō	*mēlamiz

Derived terms

• *mēlijaną

Descendants

• Proto-West Germanic: *māl
  • Old English: mǣl, mēl — Anglian, Kentish
    • Middle English: mel, mele, melle, mal, male, meyle (chiefly Northern), mæl, mæle, meal (Early Middle English)
      • English: meal
      • Scots: meal
      • Yola: meale, mele
      • → Irish: béile
  • Old Frisian: mēl
    • Saterland Frisian: Moal, Mäil
    • West Frisian: miel
  • Old Saxon: māl
    • Middle Low German: mâl
      • Low German: maal
      • German Low German: Mahl
  • Old Dutch: *māl
    • Middle Dutch: mâel
      • Dutch: maal
        • Afrikaans: maal
        • Berbice Creole Dutch: mali
        • Negerhollands: mal
    • Limburgish: maol
  • Old High German: māl
    • Middle High German: māl
      • Bavarian: Moi

        Cimbrian: mal

        Mòcheno: mol

      • German: Mahl, Mal, mal
      • Hunsrik: Mol
      • Luxembourgish: Mol
      • Yiddish: מאָל (mol)
• Old Norse: mál
  • Danish: mål
  • Faroese: mál
  • Icelandic: mál
  • Norwegian Bokmål: mål
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: mål
  • Swedish: mål
• Gothic: 𐌼𐌴𐌻 (mēl)