Where does “Mercian” come from?

Mercian derives from Late Latin Mercius, a name of uncertain origin and meaning.

Mercian (English): A native or inhabitant of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom...

Definitions

  1. A native or inhabitant of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom...

Ancestry of “Mercian”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1LatinMercius—
2Old EnglishMiercethe Mercians
3Old Englishmearcmark, sign, character; boundary, limit
4Proto-West Germanicmarkuboundary, border
5Proto-Germanicmarkōborder, boundary; region, area
6Proto-Indo-Europeanmorǵ-edge, boundary, border; frontier, border
Every word from Proto-Indo-European morǵ- →Every word from Proto-Germanic markō →Every word from Proto-West Germanic marku →
Mercian — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer