An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/melken

by Friedrich Kluge

melken, vb., from the equiv. MidHG. mëlken, mëlchen, OHG. mëlchan, ‘to milk’; comp. Du. melken, AS. mëlcan (wanting in E., in which to milk is used); Ic. mjalta, and also mjalter, ‘milking,’ mjaltr, ‘milch,’ but also from mjolk, ‘milk,’ mjolka, ‘to milk,’ and mjolkr, ‘milch’; Goth. *milkan is by chance not recorded. The Teut. root melk is derived from the Aryan melg, which occurs with the same meaning in the West Aryan languages; comp. Lat. mulgere, Gr. ἀμέλγει, OSlov. mlěsti (pres. mlŭzą), Lith. mìlsti (pres. mélžu). In the East Aryan languages the corresponding root appears with an older signification, ‘to wipe or rub off’ (comp. Sans. mârj, mṛj, Zend marez). Melken is one of the characteristic words which point to a closer connection between the West Aryans compared with the East Aryans; comp. Hanf and mahlen. See also Milch, Molke, and melk.