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
- An area of low, wet land, often with tall grass
Ancestry of “marsh”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | merssh | A region of marshland or damp meadowland |
| 2 | Middle English | mere | mare; mother; sea, lake |
| 3 | Old English | mere | lake; pool; sea |
| 4 | Old English | byriġ | — |
| 5 | Old English | burh | Alternative form of burg; fortress; hill |
| 6 | Old English | burg | city; town; a fortified place: stronghold, fort,... |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | burgz | fortification, stronghold; city |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰr̥ǵʰ- | — |