Where does “meertje” come from?
meertje (Dutch) comes from Dutch meer, from Middle Dutch mêer, from Old Dutch meri, from Proto-West Germanic mārī, from Proto-Germanic mari, from Proto-Indo-European móri, from Proto-Indo-European mer- — to die; to disappear; sea, lake, wetland.
Ancestry of “meertje”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dutch | meer | lake; sea; comparative degree of veel; more |
| 2 | Middle Dutch | mêer | border, boundary |
| 3 | Old Dutch | meri | border, boundary |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | mārī | famous; story, tale; message |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | mari | sea, ocean; lake, body of water |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | móri | sea; standing water |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | mer- | to die; to disappear; sea, lake, wetland |