*malhō

Reconstruction

The word is *malhō in Wiktionary.^[1] Kroonen heads it *malha/ō-, masculine or feminine,^[2] Orel *malxaz, also masculine or feminine,^[3] and Köbler *malha.^[4] EWA sets up a feminine *malχō(n)- beside a masculine *malχa-.^[5]

Etymology

Wiktionary reports the traditional derivation from Proto-Indo-European *molko- (“leather pouch”);^[1] Kroonen, however, says the word has no IE etymology.^[2]

Köbler also sets up a homonymous *malhō "gravel", continued by Old Norse mǫl, which he derives from Proto-Indo-European *mel- (“to grind”).^[6] Kroonen too reconstructs *malhō- "gravel" behind the Icelandic and Faroese words.^[7]

Morphology

A feminine ō-stem in the West Germanic forms,^[5] while Old Norse has a masculine a-stem.^[5][8] EWA notes that Old High German malaha may also have been an n-stem.^[5]

Evidence

The word is attested in North and West Germanic: Old Norse malr (“knapsack”), Middle Dutch male and Old High German malaha.^[2] Old Saxon malaha and Old Dutch mala are recorded too.^[5] De Vries cites Norwegian and Old Swedish place names, against Holthausen's view that the Old Norse word is a loan from Middle Low German.^[9] Kroonen lists no Gothic form.^[2]

Competing analyses

The word is usually compared with Ancient Greek μολγός (molgós, “bag of cowhide”).^[2] Kroonen points out that even if this is right, the Greek word does not match the Germanic form, and reports the suggestions that it is a Thracian word or a prehistoric Wanderwort.^[2] Orel calls it a Wanderwort.^[3] Orel also cites Feist for a link with *malskaz and Van Windekens for one with Tocharian B mälk- (“to interweave”).^[3] De Vries calls the etymology uncertain.^[9]

Meanings

1. bag^[2]
2. leather bag^[4][1]

In Old High German the word also meant "travelling bag", "pack saddle" and perhaps "scabbard",^[10] and Old Saxon used it for "provision bag" and "saddlebag".^[5]

Reflexes

• Old Norse: malr (“sack, bag”), a masculine^[9]
• Old Saxon: malaha (“bag, sack, sheath”)^[11]
• Old Dutch: mala (“bag, pouch”)^[5]
• Old High German: malaha (“bag, knapsack, travelling bag, pack saddle”)^[5]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *malhō
2. ^ a b c d e f g Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 351
3. ^ a b c Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 257
4. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *malha
5. ^ a b c d e f g h Lloyd, Albert L.; Springer, Otto; Lühr, Rosemarie, et al. (1988–), Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Althochdeutschen, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht; online ewa.saw-leipzig.de, p. s.v. malaha
6. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *malhō
7. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 363
8. ^ Köbler, Gerhard, Altnordisches Wörterbuch, online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary database copy), p. s.v. malr
9. ^ a b c de Vries, Jan (1977), Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 2nd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. 377
10. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. malaha
11. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. malaha