An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/mild

by Friedrich Kluge

mild, adj., ‘mild, meek, gentle,’ from MidHG. milte, ‘friendly, kind, liberal, gracious,’ OHG. mil(illegible text)i; comp. OSax. mildi, AS. milde, E. mild, Goth. mildeis (hardly *milds), adj., ‘loving, mild’; a common Teut. adj. of disputed origin. A word corresponding exactly in sound does not occur in the cognate languages. Lat. mollis, if it represents *molvis, *moldvis (like suâvis for *suâdvis; comp. süß); might with Teut. *mildu-, ‘mild,’ belong to the root mol, ‘to grind,’ with which also OIr. mláith (prim. form mlâti-), ‘soft, gentle,’ or OIr. meldach, ‘pleasant,’ is connected.