Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “marsh” come from?

Marsh comes from Middle English mersh, from Old English mersc, from Proto-West Germanic marisk, from Proto-Germanic mari, from Proto-Indo-European móri, ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root mer-.

marsh (English): An area of low, wet land, often with tall grass

Definitions

  1. An area of low, wet land, often with tall grass

Ancestry of “marsh”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishmerssh—
2Middle Englishmeremare; mother; sea, lake
3Old Englishmerelake; pool; sea
4Old Englishbyriġ—
5Old EnglishburhAlternative form of burg; fortress; hill
6Old Englishburgcity; town; a fortified place: stronghold, fort,...
7Proto-Germanicburgzfortification, stronghold; city
8Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰr̥ǵʰ-—

Words derived from “marsh”

  • marshland
  • marshside
  • marshman
  • marshlike
  • marshwort
  • marshscape
  • marshberry
  • marsh mallow
  • marshless
  • marshlander
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰr̥ǵʰ- →