Where does “mark” come from?
Mark derives from Middle English mark, from Old English mearc, from Proto-Germanic markō, from Proto-Indo-European mereg-, a root meaning to mark or scratch.
mark (English): "Boundary, land within a boundary.";...
Definitions
- "Boundary, land within a boundary.";...
Ancestry of “mark”, step by step
mark traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English mark
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | mark | — |
| 2 | Old English | mearc | mark, sign, character; boundary, limit |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | marku | boundary, border |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | markō | border, boundary; region, area |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | morǵ- | edge, boundary, border; frontier, border |
via Middle English merke
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | merke | — |
| 2 | Old Norse | myrkr | dark, murky |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | merkuz | dark |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | mergʷ- | dark, coloured; to flicker; to darken; to be dark |
via Middle English merk
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | merk | resemblance |