Where does “merperson” come from?

merperson (English) comes from English Person, from Middle English persoun, from Old French persone, from Medieval Latin persona, from Latin persōna, from Etruscan 𐌘𐌄𐌓𐌔𐌖, from Ancient Greek πρόσωπον, from Ancient Greek ὤψ — to see; eye.

merperson (English): A mythological creature with a human upper half (head, arms, and torso) and a piscine lower half

Definitions

  1. A mythological creature with a human upper half (head, arms, and torso) and a piscine lower half

Ancestry of “merperson”, step by step

merperson traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English Person

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishPersonAn individual who has been granted personhood; usually a human being
2Middle Englishpersounperson
3Old Frenchpersoneperson; individual; rector of a parish; someone;...
4Medieval Latinpersonaparson, person; mask; character
5Latinpersōnamask
6Etruscan𐌘𐌄𐌓𐌔𐌖a mask; a masked individual, often performing in...
7Ancient Greekπρόσωπονface, visage, countenance; front; mask
8Ancient Greekὤψto the eye; in the face; eye
9Proto-Hellenicókʷseye
10Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃ókʷseye
11Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃ekʷ-to see; eye

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 h₃ekʷ-Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₃ókʷsEvery word from Proto-Hellenic ókʷs