*meluks

Runic: ᛗᛖᛚᚢᚲᛊ Pronunciation: /ˈme.luks/

noun · feminine · consonant stem

Meanings

milk

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *h₂melǵ- (‘to milk’). Cognate with Latin mulgeō (“milk”, verb) (“milk”, verb).

The presence of *-u- in the second syllable is aberrant, as it was not present in the PIE root or even in the related Germanic verb *melkaną. However, the evidence of all descendants speaks unambiguously in favour of its presence. Aside from being directly attested in most of them, it is also implied by Old Norse u-mutation in case forms where it would not be expected, in the raising of e to i before u in the non-Ingvaeonic West Germanic languages, and in the High German shift /k/ → /x/.

Possible theories of origin of the disputed *-u-:

Declension

Case	Singular	Plural
Nom.	meluks	melukiz
Acc.	melukų	melukunz
Gen.	melukiz	melukǫ̂
Dat.	meluki	melukumaz
Inst.	melukē	melukumiz
Voc.	meluk	melukiz

Find a form

Descendants

*meluk (Proto-West Germanic)
- miloc, milic, milec (Old Dutch)
  - melc (Middle Dutch)
    - mèlk (Limburgish)
*meluk (Proto-West Germanic)
- miloc, milic, milec (Old Dutch)
  - melc (Middle Dutch)
    - melk (Dutch)
      - melk (Afrikaans)
      - meliki (Aukan)
      - meleke (Berbice Creole Dutch)
      - mèleg, mèrki (Caribbean Javanese)
      - määlk (Jersey Dutch)
      - mălák (Munsee)
      - melk (Negerhollands)
      - meíki (Saramaccan)
      - melek (Tok Pisin)
*meluk (Proto-West Germanic)
- miloc, milic, milec (Old Dutch)
  - melc (Middle Dutch)
    - melk (Dutch)
      - merki (Sranan Tongo)
        
        Kari'na: meliki
*meluk (Proto-West Germanic)
- meolc, meoloc, meoluc, milc (Old English)
  - milk, milke, milc, melke, melc, mulk, mulc (Middle English)
    - milk, melk (English)
    - milk, melk, mylk (Scots)
    - mulk (Yola)
*meluk (Proto-West Germanic)
- melok (Old Frisian)
  - ? (North Frisian)
  - Moalk, Molk (Saterland Frisian)
  - molke (West Frisian)
*meluk (Proto-West Germanic)
- miluh (Old High German)
  - milich, milch (Middle High German)
    - Möuch, Melch (Alemannic German)
    - Muich, Milli, milch, milach, milich (Bavarian)
    - ? (Central Franconian)
    - ? (Rhine Franconian)
    - myłich (Vilamovian)
    - מילך (milkh) (Yiddish)
*meluk (Proto-West Germanic)
- miluh (Old High German)
  - milich, milch (Middle High German)
    - Milch (German)
      - milis (Tok Pisin)
*meluk (Proto-West Germanic)
- miluk (Old Saxon)
  - melik, melk (Middle Low German)
    - Melk (Low German)
      - melk (Dutch Low Saxon)
      - Melk (German Low German)
mjǫlk (Old Norse)
- mjok (Elfdalian)
- mjólk (Faroese)
- mjalk, mjälk, mjölk (Gutnish)
- mjólk (Icelandic)
mjǫlk (Old Norse)
- mjølk, mjolk, mjelk (Norwegian Nynorsk)
  - mjølk (Norwegian Bokmål)
mjǫlk (Old Norse)
- mialk, miælk, mælk, miølk (Old Danish)
  - milk, mjælk (Scanian)
mjǫlk (Old Norse)
- mialk, miælk, mælk, miølk (Old Danish)
  - mælk (Danish)
    - melk (Norwegian Bokmål)
mjǫlk (Old Norse)
- miolk, miølk (Old Swedish)
  - mjölk (Swedish)
mjolk (Old Norse)
- mjok (Elfdalian)
- mjólk (Faroese)
- mjalk, mjälk, mjölk (Gutnish)
- mjólk (Icelandic)
mjolk (Old Norse)
- mjølk, mjolk, mjelk (Norwegian Nynorsk)
  - mjølk (Norwegian Bokmål)
mjolk (Old Norse)
- mialk, miælk, mælk, miølk (Old Danish)
  - milk, mjælk (Scanian)
mjolk (Old Norse)
- mialk, miælk, mælk, miølk (Old Danish)
  - mælk (Danish)
    - melk (Norwegian Bokmål)
mjolk (Old Norse)
- miolk, miølk (Old Swedish)
  - mjölk (Swedish)
mjólk (Old Norse)
- mjok (Elfdalian)
- mjólk (Faroese)
- mjalk, mjälk, mjölk (Gutnish)
- mjólk (Icelandic)
mjólk (Old Norse)
- mjølk, mjolk, mjelk (Norwegian Nynorsk)
  - mjølk (Norwegian Bokmål)
mjólk (Old Norse)
- mialk, miælk, mælk, miølk (Old Danish)
  - milk, mjælk (Scanian)
mjólk (Old Norse)
- mialk, miælk, mælk, miølk (Old Danish)
  - mælk (Danish)
    - melk (Norwegian Bokmål)
mjólk (Old Norse)
- miolk, miølk (Old Swedish)
  - mjölk (Swedish)
miolk (Old Norse)
- mjok (Elfdalian)
- mjólk (Faroese)
- mjalk, mjälk, mjölk (Gutnish)
- mjólk (Icelandic)
miolk (Old Norse)
- mjølk, mjolk, mjelk (Norwegian Nynorsk)
  - mjølk (Norwegian Bokmål)
miolk (Old Norse)
- mialk, miælk, mælk, miølk (Old Danish)
  - milk, mjælk (Scanian)
miolk (Old Norse)
- mialk, miælk, mælk, miølk (Old Danish)
  - mælk (Danish)
    - melk (Norwegian Bokmål)
miolk (Old Norse)
- miolk, miølk (Old Swedish)
  - mjölk (Swedish)
𐌼𐌹𐌻𐌿𐌺𐍃 (miluks) (Gothic)
*mielkkē (Proto-Samic)
*melko (Proto-Slavic)

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