Where does “merfamily” come from?

merfamily (English) comes from English family, from Middle English famylye, from Latin familia, from Latin famulus, from Proto-Italic famelos, from Proto-Indo-European dʰh₁-m-eló-, from Proto-Indo-European dʰeh₁- — to do, put, place.

merfamily (English): A family of merfolk

Definitions

  1. A family of merfolk

Ancestry of “merfamily”, step by step

merfamily traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English family

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishfamilyA group of people who are closely related to one...
2Middle Englishfamylyefamily
3Latinfamiliafamily; household; A quantity of land adequate...
4Latinfamulusserving, servile; a servant, slave
5Proto-Italicfamelosservile, domestic
6Proto-Indo-Europeandʰh₁-m-eló-
7Proto-Indo-Europeandʰeh₁-to do, put, place

via English mer

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishmerA repeat unit: a structural unit which through...
2EnglishpolymerA long or larger molecule consisting of a chain...
3Englishpoly-many; polymer
4Ancient Greekπολύςmany, a lot of; neuter πολύ or πολλά as...
5Ancient Greekπόροςa means of passage, passageway, way, opening;...
6Ancient GreekπείρωI pierce, run through; I cleave through
7Proto-Hellenic*péryō
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰeh₁-Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰh₁-m-eló-Every word from Proto-Italic famelos