Where does “mermaid” come from?
Mermaid comes from Middle English mermayde, formed from Middle English mere (sea), from Old English mīere, from Proto-Germanic miurijǭ, from Proto-Indo-European mark-, mer-, and mey-, roots relating to bodies of water.
mermaid (English): A mythological creature with a woman's head and...
Definitions
- A mythological creature with a woman's head and...
Ancestry of “mermaid”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | mermayde | mermaid |
| 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- | — |