Q: The use of the term “milk” for plant-based products has sparked controversy for years. However, historical evidence suggests that the concept of plants producing “milk” dates back centuries. Was the original meaning of “milk” related to the process of extracting fluid, and subsequently to any fluid produced in this way?
A: The idea of plants producing “milk” has been documented for centuries, although the animal-related sense emerged earlier. Here is the story behind it.
If we trace the origins far back into prehistory, the word “milk” can be traced back to the Indo-European root melg-, which initially meant “to rub” and later evolved to mean “to milk.”
Etymologists and historical linguists generally agree that this Indo-European root gave rise to meluk-ja-, the prehistoric Germanic root for “giving milk,” which eventually led to the Old English verb melcan and noun meolc.
However, the Oxford English Dictionary points out that “the origin of the vowel [u] between l and k in the Germanic base [meluk-ja-] is uncertain, leading some to suggest that the noun and the verb may not be ultimately related.”
Furthermore, The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo-European Roots notes “the unexplained absence of a common Indo-European noun for milk.”
While some uncertainties exist, it is likely that both the noun and verb “milk” do originate from the Proto-Indo-European root. No compelling evidence has been found to refute this theory.
In terms of English etymology, the noun “milk” appeared before the verb in Old English. Initially, it referred to the fluid produced by mammary glands but later expanded to include milky liquids from plants.
The oldest example in the OED, from an Old English translation circa 900 of Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum, describes a fasting practice before Easter involving bread and thin milk.
The first mention of plant-based milky liquid (in the compound wyrtemeolc, plant milk) is found in an 11th-century Old English translation of Herbarium, a 4th-century Latin herbal.
A search on Google’s Ngram viewer reveals that “coconut milk” is currently the most popular plant-based milk term, followed by almond, soy, oat, rice, and cashew milks.
The earliest OED citation for the verb “milk” is from an 11th-century manuscript of the Old English Martyrology, documenting a man milking a hind and drinking the milk.
Finally, an image from the Old English herbal mentioned above can be viewed on the British Library’s website.
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