h₂melǵ-
“to milk, to wipe”milk, dairy
Root for milking. Gives English "milk", Latin mulgēre, Greek amélgein.
Discussion
*h₂melǵ- is a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to milk" or "to wipe," reflecting the central importance of dairy husbandry in PIE subsistence.
The root gives Old English meolc/milc (modern English milk) and melcan "to milk." German Milch and Dutch melk continue the Germanic forms. The palatovelar *ǵ gives Germanic *k regularly. The root's productivity in Germanic underscores the importance of dairying in northern European economies.
Latin mulgēre "to milk" preserves the root with the original vocalism. Greek amélgein "to milk" shows a prothetic a-. Sanskrit mr̥jati "wipes, cleans" preserves the "wipe" sense, suggesting the original PIE meaning may have encompassed both the wiping/stripping motion and its specialized application to milking.
Old Irish bligim "I milk" (from *ml̥ǵ- with metathesis) and Lithuanian melžti "to milk" confirm the root across Celtic and Balto-Slavic. Old Church Slavonic mlěsti "to milk" adds further attestation.
The wide distribution of this root—attested in all major branches—is considered strong evidence for dairy farming in the PIE economy, contributing to homeland and chronology debates. Modern descendants include English milk, German Milch, and the Latin-derived emulsion (from ēmulgēre "to milk out").
Notes
Well-attested across IE branches; also "emulsion"
Related Roots
English Words from *h₂melǵ-
These modern English words descend from this root. Each page traces the full journey from PIE to present-day English.