An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/mahlen

by Friedrich Kluge

mahlen, vb., ‘to grind,’ from the equiv. MidHG. maln, OHG. malan; in the latter form the common Teut. word for ‘to grind’ (but wanting in E. even in AS.); comp. OSax. malan, Du. malen, OIc. mala, Goth. malan, ‘to grind.’ The root mal (mol, ml), ‘to grind,’ is common to the West Aryan languages, and this fact indicates the very early existence of grinding; comp. Lat. molo, Gr. μύλλω (to which μύλη, μύλος, μυλῖται are allied), OSlov. melją mlĕti), Lith. máḷù (málti), OIr. melim, ‘I grind.’ This community of terms in the West Aryan languages does not necessarily point to a primit. period when the tribes speaking the languages mentioned formed one body. It is more probable that the use of mills was learnt by one tribe from another. The influence of a foreign civilisation (comp. Hanf) is also quite conceivable. Comp. malmen, Malter, Maulwurf, Mehl, Mühle, and Müller.