# All Nordic languages: milk



## Oletta

Halló 
In Icelandic milk does not even start with the letter "m", it is "rjómi". I wonder what is its translation into other Nordic languages, please tell me.

And if you know the ethymology of Icelandic "rjómi", I'd be glad. 

Thank you.


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## madshov

In Danish: Mælk


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## Lilla My

In Norwegian bokmål, milk is "melk" og "mjølk" in Nynorsk (please correct me if it's wrong). But there's the word "rømme" which mean "crème fraîche" (cream).


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## strix

In Swedish, it's "mjölk".


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## sigjak

Oletta said:


> Halló
> In Icelandic milk does not even start with the letter "m", it is "*rjómi*".


 
In Norwegian dialects, and I think also in Nynorsk, *rjome* is (was?) the word for the heavy cream, esp. that formed on top of milk allowed to thicken. This cream was separated from the milk to make butter. The modern word is *rømme*, is a sour cream with more fat than the crème-fraiche.
An old Norwegian saying: _Han får ikkje smør han som ét opp rjomen._ (Those who eat the "rjome" won't get butter).


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## Oletta

Thank you! Your answer, sigjak, is especially interesting, it explains the origins of the Icelandic "rjómi", . And the old Norwegian saying is nice .


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## Sepia

sigjak said:


> In Norwegian dialects, and I think also in Nynorsk, *rjome* is (was?) the word for the heavy cream, esp. that formed on top of milk allowed to thicken. This cream was separated from the milk to make butter. The modern word is *rømme*, is a sour cream with more fat than the crème-fraiche.
> An old Norwegian saying: _Han får ikkje smør han som ét opp rjomen._ (Those who eat the "rjome" won't get butter).


 

That is a good info - suddenly I see the similarity with the German word "Rahm" (same meaning as "rjome".

Normally I'also expect am "m" word. I once heard that the two words that have similarity in the largest number of languages are milk and nine (9). (Besides, in case you have not noticed, incredibly many languages have the same or similar words for "9" and "new". Wonder if anyone can figure out why.)


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## althasil

Sepia said:


> Normally I'also expect am "m" word.



Be careful: lexical similarity does not necessarily imply the words are cognates...




Oletta said:


> In Icelandic milk does not even start with the letter "m", it is "rjómi".



Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the word for 'milk' in Icelandic 'mjólk'? I thought 'rjómi' meant 'cream'. 




Oletta said:


> And if you know the ethymology of Icelandic "rjómi", I'd be glad.



It's from the Proto-Germanic '*rauwma-'; although I have no idea what it means. Also, Icelandic 'rjómi' is cognate to (as mentioned) Norwegian 'romme', German 'Rahm', Dutch 'room' and English 'ream'. 'Ream' meaning 'cream', however, has become archaic except in certain dialects of English. ('Ream' meaning a bundle of paper has a different etymology; from Old French 'raime' (modern 'rame') and Arabic 'rizma' meaning 'bundle'...)

The English 'cream' is actually a loanword from Old French 'cresme' (modern 'crème'), a mix of Late Latin 'chrisma' meaning 'ointment' (from Greek 'chrisma', meaning 'unguent') and Late Latin 'cramum' meaning 'cream' (with dubious etymology).


The Icelandic noun 'mjólk' on the other hand, is cognate with (as mentioned) Danish 'mælk', Norwegian 'melk', Swedish 'mjölk', German 'Milch', Dutch 'melk' and of course, English 'milk'.

Both the verb and the noun ('milk' and 'to milk') are from Proto-Indo-European '*melg-' meaning 'stroking, wiping', referring to the hand actions used in milking an animal. The noun is from Proto-Germanic '*meluk-'; the verb from Proto-Germanic '*melkanan' (compare the Old Norse 'mjolka' and German/Dutch 'melken').

(Note: The Greek 'amelgein' and Latin 'mulgere' are descended from Proto Indo-European '*melg-' as well )

Phew. Too many brackets. Kind of went a bit off, too. 
Hope it helped though; and anyone at all is welcome to correct my mistakes.


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## Sepia

althasil said:


> Be careful: lexical similarity does not necessarily imply the words are cognates...
> 
> 
> ,,.


 

Nevertheless they are considered to be in many cases and by many researchers. As far as I know also by this professor in Moskow who - according to what I have heard - knows some 100- 120 languages.

The thing about new and nine might have a simple explanation: In many asian cultures (including India) the number "9" is a magic number and symbolizes renewal. Other religous symbols have spread together with the languages. Like the Swastika has. So there is probably a connection here. 

How they explain the spreading of the words for "milk" I don't know. But obviously we are talking about a substance that has been known for a long time so there has probably been a word for i at an early development stage of the langages.


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## Oletta

althasil said:


> Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the word for 'milk' in Icelandic 'mjólk'? I thought 'rjómi' meant 'cream'.


Yes, 'rjómi' is cream milk. Anyway thank you for your detailed answer to my questions. Thanks all of you guys. 


BTW, Sepia, it sounds amazing to know a hundred languages! I know a guy who knows 12 (he has certificates that allow him teach all of them) and he said that the most tiresome business had been to study the first six, and later he spent only three months at a time to study the other six.


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