Where does “birthmark” come from?
Birthmark derives from English birth and mark, where mark comes from Middle English mark, Old English mearc, and Old French bourde, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots mereg- and bʰer-.
birthmark (English): A mark on the skin formed before birth
Definitions
- A mark on the skin formed before birth
Ancestry of “birthmark”, step by step
birthmark traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Mark
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Mark | Abbreviation of Markarian |
| 2 | German | mark | mark any of various European monetary units |
| 3 | Latin | Mārcus | — |
| 4 | Latin | Martīnus | — |
| 5 | Latin | -īnus | of or pertaining to; -ine |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | -īnos | of/belonging to |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -iHnos | Creates adjectives of materials |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -no- | adjectival suffix |