milch

See also: Milch

English

Etymology

From Middle English milche, melche, from Old English *melċe, *milċe (attested in þrimilċe, þrimelċes mōnaþ), from Proto-Germanic *milkijaz, *melkijaz from Proto-Germanic *melkaz (“milky, milk-giving”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂melǵ- (“to wipe, wipe off, milk”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian meelk (“milch”), Low German melke (“milch”), German Milch (Milchkuh) (milk - actually Molke) (“milk-giving, milch”), Alemannic German mëlch (“milch, milkable”), Icelandic milkur, mjólkur (“milk-giving”). More at milk.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mɪlt͡ʃ/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪltʃ

Adjective

milch (not comparable)

1. (dated, of a cow or other livestock) Used to produce milk; dairy.
   • 1906, Upton Sinclair, The Jungle:

     so many cattle […] old cows and young cows; meek-eyed milch cows and fierce […] Texas steers.

2. (dated, of a mammal) Currently producing milk for its offspring.
   • 1593, [William Shakespeare], Venus and Adonis, London: […] Richard Field, […], →OCLC:

     She wildly breaketh from their strict embrace / Like a milch doe, whose swelling dugs do ache / Hasting to feed her fawn, hid in some break.

   • 1707, J[ohn] Mortimer, The Whole Art of Husbandry; or, The Way of Managing and Improving of Land. […], London: […] J[ohn] H[umphreys] for H[enry] Mortlock […], and J[onathan] Robinson […], →OCLC:

     you must house your Milch-cows

3. (obsolete) Tender; pitiful; weeping.

Usage notes

• Used in terms such as milch cow or milch goat.

Derived terms

• milch camel
• milch-maid
• milch-wench
• milch-woman
• milchy
• non-milch

Translations

giving milk

• Azerbaijani: sağmal
• Bulgarian: доен (bg) (doen) (за крава)
• Finnish: lypsävä, lypsy-
• German: melk (de)

  Alemannic German: mëlch

• Icelandic: mjaltur
• Irish: bleacht, bainne (ga)
• Old Norse: mjaltr
• Persian: دنو (fa) (danu)
• Polish: dojny (pl), mleczny (pl)
• Russian: до́йная (ru) (dójnaja)
• Welsh: blith

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Hungarian: fejős (hu), tejelő (hu)
• Sanskrit: धेनु (sa) (dhenú)
• Welsh: blith

Alemannic German

Alternative forms

• meljch, mélch, mélläch

Etymology

From Old High German miluh, from Proto-Germanic *meluks. Cognate with German Milch, Dutch melk, English milk, Swedish mjölk, Gothic 𐌼𐌹𐌻𐌿𐌺𐍃 (miluks).

Noun

milch f

1. (Issime, Carcoforo) milk

References

• Patuzzi, Umberto, ed., (2013) Luserna / Lusérn: Le nostre parole / Ünsarne börtar / Unsere Wörter [Our Words], Luserna, Italy: Comitato unitario delle isole linguistiche storiche germaniche in Italia / Einheitskomitee der historischen deutschen Sprachinseln in Italien

Bavarian

Alternative forms

• milach (Timau)
• milich (Sauris)

Etymology

From Old High German miluh, from Proto-Germanic *meluks. Cognate with German Milch, Dutch melk, English milk, Swedish mjölk, Gothic 𐌼𐌹𐌻𐌿𐌺𐍃 (miluks).

Noun

milch f

1. (Sappada) milk

References

• Patuzzi, Umberto, ed., (2013) Luserna / Lusérn: Le nostre parole / Ünsarne börtar / Unsere Wörter [Our Words], Luserna, Italy: Comitato unitario delle isole linguistiche storiche germaniche in Italia / Einheitskomitee der historischen deutschen Sprachinseln in Italien

Cimbrian

Etymology

From Old High German miluh, from Proto-Germanic *meluks. Cognate with German Milch, Dutch melk, English milk, Swedish mjölk, Gothic 𐌼𐌹𐌻𐌿𐌺𐍃 (miluks).

Noun

milch f

1. (Luserna, Sette Comuni) milk

References

• Patuzzi, Umberto, ed., (2013) Luserna / Lusérn: Le nostre parole / Ünsarne börtar / Unsere Wörter [Our Words], Luserna, Italy: Comitato unitario delle isole linguistiche storiche germaniche in Italia / Einheitskomitee der historischen deutschen Sprachinseln in Italien

Mòcheno

Etymology

From Middle High German milch, milich, from Old High German miluh, from Proto-West Germanic *meluk, from Proto-Germanic *meluks (“milk”). Cognate with German Milch, English milk.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /milx/

Noun

milch f

1. milk

References

• Anthony R. Rowley, Liacht as de sproch: Grammatica della lingua mòchena Deutsch-Fersentalerisch, TEMI, 2003.