English
malt
Malt comes from Middle English malt, and goes back to Proto-Germanic *maltą.
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*maltąreconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*maltreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150mealt
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500malt
- Englishearliest quotation 1896same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*maltąreconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*maltreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150mealt
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500malt
- Englishearliest quotation 1896same form
Earliest quotation: 1896, A. E. Housman, A Shropshire Lad: “Oh many a peer of England brews Livelier liquor…”
The story
The Proto-Germanic noun was borrowed into Proto-Slavic as *malta; compare Ukrainian мо́лот (mólot), Czech mláto.
Every English word from Proto-Germanic *maltą
Today it means
noun Malted grain (sprouted grain) (usually barley), used in brewing and otherwise.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Germanic *maltą / malt