Where does “mermaiding” come from?
mermaiding (English) comes from English mermaid, from Middle English mermayde, from Middle English mere, from Old English mere, from Old English byriġ, from Old English burh, from Old English burg, from Proto-Germanic burgz.
mermaiding (English): The practice of swimming while wearing an artificial mermaid tail
Definitions
- The practice of swimming while wearing an artificial mermaid tail
Ancestry of “mermaiding”, step by step
mermaiding traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English mermaid
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | mermaid | A mythological creature with a woman's head and... |
| 2 | Middle English | mermayde | mermaid |
| 3 | Middle English | mere | mare; mother; sea, lake |
| 4 | Old English | mere | lake; pool; sea |
| 5 | Old English | byriġ | — |
| 6 | Old English | burh | Alternative form of burg; fortress; hill |
| 7 | Old English | burg | city; town; a fortified place: stronghold, fort,... |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | burgz | fortification, stronghold; city |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰr̥ǵʰ- | — |
via English ing
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ing | A meadow, especially a low meadow near a river;... |
| 2 | Middle English | ing | — |
| 3 | Old English | ing | meadow, water meadow, ing |
| 4 | Old Norse | eng | meadow |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | angijō | A low lying meadow in a valley or near a river |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énkos | curve, bend |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -os | Creates action nouns or result nouns from verbs;... |