Where does “mermaiden” come from?
mermaiden (English) comes from Middle English meremaiden, from Middle English mere, from Old English mere, from Old English byriġ, from Old English burh, from Old English burg, from Proto-Germanic burgz, from Proto-Indo-European bʰr̥ǵʰ-.
mermaiden (English): a mermaid, a maiden of the sea; siren
Definitions
- a mermaid, a maiden of the sea; siren
Ancestry of “mermaiden”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | meremaiden | 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- | — |