Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Marley” come from?

Marley derives from Old English mære, from Proto-Germanic mērijaz, from Proto-Indo-European mey-, ultimately tracing to Proto-Indo-European moyro-.

Ancestry of “Marley”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishlēahmeadow; clearing with a pigsty; woodland,...
2Proto-West Germaniclauhclearing; meadow
3Proto-Germaniclauhazclearing; meadow
4Proto-Indo-Europeanlówkosclearing; open space, clearing; field, meadow
5Proto-Indo-Europeanlewḱ-lynx
6Proto-Indo-Europeanlewk-bright; to shine; to see

Words derived from “Marley”

  • Marlee
  • Marleigh
Every word from Proto-Indo-European lewk- →