An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Mehl

by Friedrich Kluge

Mehl, n., ‘meal, flour, dust,’ from MidHG. mël (gen. mëlawes), n., OHG. mëlo (gen. mëlawes), n.; corresponding to OSax. mël, Du. meel, AS. mëlu (gen. mëlwes), n., E. meal, OIc. mjǫl (gen. plur. mjǫlva), ‘meal’; the common Teut. word for ‘meal’; Goth. *milwa (gen. *milwis) is by chance not recorded. It is a specifically Teut. derivative of the root mal, ‘to grind,’ of which the form mel is authenticated by Slav. and Ir.; see mahlen. While the vb. mahlen is common to West Aryan, the form of the word Mehl, from the root mel, is peculiar to Teut.; it may also be remarked that the subst. is found in E., though not the corresponding vb. There is also a derivative from the same root in Kelt.; comp. W. blawd, Bret. bleud (from mlât).